A Stranger Came Knocking
by theJadedRogue73
Summary: Castle's long time friend comes knocking in the middle of the night, only Rick finds out his old friend may well be a murderer
1. Chapter 1

Castle

Rick Castle was sitting in his study, tapping away at his black laptop, lost in the newest Nikki Heat story. It was a scorcher.

He was lost in Kate Beckett's mind. He heard Alexis stomping down the stairs, just as he was getting to the sweaty stuff in the novel.

"Dad," she said breathlessly, "I was thinking."

"This is new," he replied.

"Ha!" said Alexis. She gracefully glided into the room and slid a hip onto his desk. "You know how we always take a wild summer vacation?"

He cocked his eyebrow, something was coming.

"Yeessssss," he answered.

"I was thinking that we could bum it this year? You know, stay in the city? Maybe even explore the city a little bit? There are places that we've never been, well, that _I've _never been."

"You don't want to leave the city?"

This was a first. Alexis was always the first to be packed and ready to go. She was the first teenager on the planet to have a GPS system when they first hit the market.

"Because I don't think you can go a month without seeing, talking to, talking about murder, or being with Beckett," said Alexis.

"Oh," said Rick. He hasn't thought of that. A whole month without Beckett at his side, or Beckett vibrating his phone, or Beckett chiding him for being a pain. The thought made him grow cold inside.

"And Grandma wouldn't be able to come with us, since she's working."

"This is true," said Rick.

"Can we? Stay?"

"I'll think about it. It's tradition, kid. How about you finish up the school year first, deal? I have a novel to finish. Now, you've gone far past your bedtime, young lady."

Alexis rolled her eyes and kissed her father's cheek. "I'm the daughter of Richard Castle, I don't _have _a bedtime, as you well know. I love you."

"As do I. Love you that is, not myself, but you. Though, I do love myself, but not in the way you are thinking…."

Alexis walked out of his study and was off to bed, rolling her green eyes at her father's antics.

Rick let his fingers caress the keys of the laptop, rereading the last few lines of his paragraph. He once again dove into the world of Nikki Heat and Jamison Rook.

Rick heard a noise. It was at his door step. Soft scrapping of metal on metal and his door knob jiggling ever so slightly.

Placing the laptop gingerly, as one might lay a lover down onto a bed of pillows; he rushed to the front door, grabbing the fireplace poker on his way to the door. He brandished the weapon, looked at it once and thought how useful this tool could be in a murder. His eye shifted in thought. Then the scrap-scrap of a lock picker at his door forced Rick back to reality.

Someone was picking his lock!

Someone was picking _his _lock!

The door began to swing open. Rick grasped the door knob and pulled hard. The lock picker tumbled into this entryway. She looked up at him with wild dark grey eyes. "Hey Castle."

"Kenzi," whispered Castle.

"I was going to surprise you," said Kenzi. The old teasing was in her voice, how he had missed that voice.

"When, umm, when did you get out?"

Kenzi sat up. Castle sat down next to her, he let the poker fall to his left, it was all forgotten, Kenzi was sitting on his entryway floor. He was nose to nose with her. He saw the dark smudges of dirt on her chin. The dirty clothes, but her eyes were once again alive with mischief and her smile was as bright as ever.

"I wasn't in lock down, Castle, I was in a voluntary program. I volunteered, remember?"

"Yes. I remembered that."

"I walked out a week ago," said Kenzi. She stood. Her long legs seemed skinner than Castle remembered them. She was far skinnier. Her face was pale. Her once long blonde hair was cropped short. And it had been done badly, as if someone had used a rusty pair of scissors to chop of the long mane of blonde hair. "I was tired of the meds."

"They were helping," said Rick. He stood. Feeling the wash of longing he often had when he walked by her books on his bookcase. He would often run his fingers along the spine, feeling her name there _Mackenzie Knight. _

They had met when they were five. They had reconnected every few years, by some quirk of fate or another. Once they were able, they became pen pals, no matter where one went, the other wrote. Kenzi's parents had been in the Army. Rick of course had traveled because of his mother's jobs. They were to pieces on a chess board they had often joked. A few years ago, Kenzi had begun to grow sick, not a physical kind of sick, but a mental sickness had overcome her. She'd handed the reins of her life over to Castle and had committed herself to getting better. She'd stopped writing. This had been the part that had pained Castle the most, there were no more words for her to spin and mold. She'd stopped being Mackenzie Knight, and she wanted to fight to get that back.

"They were blurring my thoughts," corrected Kenzi, she turned to face Castle. "I shouldn't have come."

"No," said Rick. He rushed to her. "You are, and always will be, my best friend on earth, Knight. I just didn't expect you here at 2am in the morning." He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs instantly caressing her warm skin.

Kenzi's grey eyes darted left and right. "It's 2am?"

"It is."

"You were writing."

"I was."

"I am interrupting."

"You are."

A comfortable silence as he stared down into her eyes.

"Tell me what you need?" asked Rick.

"I need clothes. I need a shower. I need a safe place. Then I'll be out of your hair."

"All those you can have, and you are never in my hair." said Rick.

"What little there is left of it," said Kenzi reaching up and running her hand through his hair.

"I am sure I have a pair of sweat pants that fit you, and a decent shirt. Why don't you go to my master bath, I am sure you remember the way and I will lock up and be there in a few, ok? I want to save my work; we can stay up until dawn and catch up."

Kenzi kissed his cheek. He could smell the street grime clinging to her, but he didn't care, by all accounts she seemed fine. Lucid and alive. What had she gotten herself into? He watched her go up the stairs, two at a time. He closed and locked the door, then rushed off into his study. He was going to call the facility that Kenzi had been in, but then thought better of it. Calling at 2am was more than likely a bad idea all around. In the morning. He'd call that deplorable doctor that he'd never liked. The one that had asked for his autograph every single time he'd gone to see Kenzi. Kenzi had refused to see him often, he'd seen her five times in three years. A pittance of a glimmer, of a moment with his best friend, but he'd taken it and held onto the hope that she was getting fixed.

He heard the shower turn on. A welcoming sound, she'd smell much better once she was out. He did have to smile, having his best friend back in his life did feel oddly grounding. A warmth rose into his chest and his smile grew as he saved his latest additions. Kenzi hadn't read Nikki Heat yet, he was sure. Another childhood tradition, they would read to each other their work.

His phone buzzed. Beckett's number flashed on the screen. Well, there was no way he was going out on a murder mystery tonight. He would let it go to voice mail, Beckett might not mind some time away from him.

He pocketed the phone, grabbed his Nikki Heat novel from the shelf and walked towards his stairs. His right foot had just found the first step when there was a knock at his door.

He smirked. It was, after all, 2am.

"Who is it?" he asked in a hot whisper.

"Beckett, Castle, open up?"

Then she added, "Please?"

Something was definitely wrong.

"You said please," said Castle as he whipped the door open. "You never say please. Are you ok? It is my night for women being at my door step."

Kate's cheeks flashed red. "Is it now?"

"Umm. That didn't come out quite the way I meant it."

"It didn't?"

"No."

"Rick," began Beckett.

"Oh my god, what is going on? You just called me Rick. Are you ok? Did something happen to Ryan? Esposito? You, are you ok?"

"Can I come in?"

Rick stepped aside, hiding the Nikki Heat novel behind him. "Come on in."

"I caught a case earlier, but I didn't call you. I didn't call you because you're personally involved. I thought it best to come down here and talk to you about it before you saw it flashing on the news this morning."

Rick's face was drawn. Where was Mother tonight? Was she at her beau's house? Or had she been at rehearsal?

"Castle, no one you know is dead, at least, not anyone you might have cared for. I'm sorry. The murder victim was Dr. Samuel Travis. You know him?"

"Yes."

Castle's mind kicked into high gear. What had Kenzi done?

"I thought so. I did some digging when you started following me," admitted Kate.

_Of course she had, _thought Castle.

"I found that you had one best friend, who you dedicated several novel's too, Mackenzie Knight. She too, wrote novels, and dedicated a fair share to you too. Childhood friends. You are her power of attorney and sole heir to her estate if she dies. You have also been in control of her estate since she was committed…"

"It is a voluntary program," cut in Rick. "She went in on her own and that means she can leave on her own. What does this have to do with Kenzi?"

Kate smiled slightly. He had a nick name for her. They really were close.

"She left Hollow Oakes a few days ago, did you know that?"

He paused, not wanting to admit to anything and not wanting to throw a bad light onto Kenzi. "Yeessssss."

"Her doctor was found dead tonight."

Castle shrugged.

"Oh come on, Castle, you see the connections here. I've laid out the dots. You are going to make me say it, aren't you? You're friend is prime suspect. The last time she saw Dr. Travis she threatened to," said Kate, flipping open her watchbook, "take his head off with a rusty blade."

"Was he found with his head cut off with a rusty blade?" asked Rick.

"No."

"Then she didn't do it. Kenzi always keeps her promises."

"I do, at least I try too," said Kenzi. She came down the stairs, clad only in one of Rick's finer dress shirts. "Keep my promises. Going to introduce us, Castle?"

"Um. Kate Beckett, Mackenzie Knight. Detective Kate Beckett," added Rick.

"Hello," said Kenzi. "And why does it matter what I said to Travis? He was a stealing bastard, but I only kill on the page, not in real life, Detective Beckett."

Castle was grateful that she was clean. And not a rambling idiot as she'd been a few years ago, Rick now noticed how lucid she seemed. Something in Kenzi had changed.

"Mackenzie Knight, I'll have to ask you to come down to the station with me. After you get more clothes on," said Kate coolly.

"I'll…," began Castle. He looked at Beckett and tried to smile, but it wasn't happening. "Go. Um, get her some." He wagged his finger then dashed up the stairs.

Kenzi sat on the stairs.

"You might want to call a lawyer," said Kate.

"I might want to, but I'm not going too. I didn't kill Travis."

"That's for the evidence to decide."

"He loves you," said Kenzi.

"Excuse me?"

"Rick, he's taken with you. I haven't seen him look at anyone like that since…"

"His last wife? Or the waitress at Denny's?"

Kenzi smiled. "No, since me."

Kenzi sat in the interrogation room, feet on the table, clad in Castle's to large slippers. She was reading _Heat Wave. _Kate was standing outside the interrogation window, watching her. The woman who had been in Castle's life the longest, save for Alexis and his mother, was in that room. Oh what she would know about Castle. It annoyed Beckett that she couldn't sit and talk with the woman, instead, she had to interrogate her. The evidence pointed to her, but deep down, Beckett had a hard time picturing her as a killer. Or a lunatic, which is what Dr. Travis had first called her once she'd been admitted to Hollow Oaks.

"She didn't do it," said Castle.

"Did you call her a lawyer?" asked Beckett.

"She's refusing."

Esposito came bounding around the corner. He was waving some papers. "Found his blood on her dirty clothes. Lab is testing to see if it's the Docs."

"It wasn't," said Castle. "Look, I know Kenzi, she isn't capable of killing anyone."

"That's what they all say," answered Beckett.

"Kate," began Castle, "please listen to me. Mackenzie Knight didn't kill anyone, much less the man that had helped her the last few years to finally be free of whatever was plaguing her. You don't understand who she was is who she is now, but who she was then, was this shadowy shell of the woman I knew all my life."

Beckett rolled her eyes, leave it to Castle to muddle up saying that the woman was nuts and now she wasn't. Beckett walked into the interrogation room and let the door close before Castle could walk through it. He wasn't coming in here. This was one time where Rick Castle would have to sit on the sidelines.

"This," said Mackenzie Knight, waving the book around, "is pure heat. I haven't seen passion like this from him since we were kids writing a comic book together. I am impressed, Detective Beckett."

Mackenzie put her feet down and the chair slapped the floor, startling Kate.

"We found blood…"

"It's his. I reared back and punched him in the nose the day I left Oakes. I was wearing what I was wearing when I got to Castle's house last night. Was it only last night?" mused Mackenzie. She placed the book on the table, letting her hands sit on the cover for a moment. A thoughtful look on her face, lips pursed, her blonde hair was scraggly and ill cut. Beckett took her appearance in, the appearance did not match the voice that emanated from the woman.

"You see. I have motive. Opportunity. And I do have the means. I have the holy trinity of murder, I am your suspect," said Mackenzie. "I realize that all this lovely stuff is damning, and having written this stuff all my life, I'm feeling rather ugly about sitting on this side of the table from you, Detective Beckett…"

Castle burst through the doors, pushing passed Esposito. "Kenzi that's enough! You didn't kill him and now you need to shut up! I'm calling you a lawyer. I don't want you saying one more word."

Castle knew that Beckett would eat Kenzi alive. Kenzi was all but slapping the handcuffs on herself.

"Rick, relax. I didn't do it. I will admit," said Kenzi now rocking back on the chair, balancing precariously there, "I am a prime suspect. As Detective Beckett will most certainly point out to you, it does look like I did it. I didn't. I'm sure that if you trust in Detective Beckett she'll prove that I'm innocent."

Kate stood and shoved Castle out of the room, giving Esposito a deadly glare as she slammed the door closed. Kate turned back to Mackenzie and waited.

"I found out a week ago that Dr. Travis was using my ramblings, the stories I was telling him, to write a book. He'd published two already. It took me 18 months to start to be able to form a story again, Detective Beckett, and when I was able, I began to tell him stories. He taped them. Then transcribed them. Then he sold them. He was making millions off my ideas, off my thoughts, off my characters. You really are gorgeous, you know that?"

"How did you find out?" asked Kate not responding to the obvious attempt changing the subject or to throw her off guard.

Mackenzie smiled. "I was taken to his office, you see, he never did our sessions at the Oakes, but in his private office. I heard his secretary talking about his newest foray into the thriller genre, and how it was funny that he was treating a well known novelist and here he was, writing his own. Once she hung up the phone I asked her the name of his new novel, thinking that maybe, just maybe…. I was right. Check Mate." Mackenzie laughed bitterly. "Two detectives, Rook and Stallion…."

"Rook?"

"Yeah. That's a Castle and Knight thing."

Kate felt herself flush. Castle had used the name Jamison Rook in his latest novel. Had she sparked the same passion in Castle as this woman had?

"Anyway," said Mackenzie, "he opened the door and I lost it. I had been crafting this odd story about two detectives, giving him details, playing with plot lines and character development. I knew now why he was prodding me to tell him more. It wasn't because he was happy about me being able to tell stories again, it was because the bastard was stealing them."

"So Check Mate was your novel?"

"I guess so. Don't get me wrong, Detective Beckett, I don't need the money. That I have. More than Rick, more than I'll ever need. It wasn't about the money, I'd have let him have the money, it was about Rook and Stallion."

Kenzi stood up. Kate mirrored her.

"He took the friendship that I was missing, the love that I was missing and sold it. As his own. I can only imagine what his publishers said when they saw Rook, only months after Castle published this," said Kenzi tapping the book again. "He took what was mine."

"And you took it back."

"I didn't kill him."

"You said his blood was on your clothes. That's evidence."

"I have witnesses to my breaking that SOB's nose, Detective Beckett. I didn't kill him. If you want to arrest me on circumstantial evidence, that's fine. You know that it will be thrown out in court. I don't know, don't you think if he did this to me, he might have done something similar to someone else? Or someone knew about what he was doing to me and wanted a cut for their silence?" offered Mackenzie.

"Why did you go into the Oakes?"

"I was having trouble differentiating between reality and fantasy. I had become lost in my own worlds. Yet, I couldn't write, because when I did, my reality changed."

"What made you go into the Oakes?"

"Subtle. You are good. I almost killed Alexis."

"She was chasing a guy she thought was following her. She was driving but it was ok, I talked her into pulling over," said Alexis. "Look, Detective Beckett, Kenzi wouldn't ever hurt me. It was three years ago. Kenzi was sick, and Dad said she's better now," said Alexis.

Beckett had called Alexis, who had rushed to the precinct to see her father, and his best friend, Kenzi. Beckett wanted to know more about this elusive Mac_kenzi _Knight. Now, Beckett was questioning her with kid gloves.

"You have to admit…"

"Detective Beckett, if Kenzi said she didn't do it, she didn't."

Kate sighned and she knew she was caught between a rock and an even harder place.

Beckett had interviewed the secretary, other patients of Dr. Travis', his wife, this three ex-wives, and his current mistress. All of latter had great motive to kill him. All had alibis.

Kate sat at her desk, looking at the white board, all indicating that she had killed him. There had been blood and his skin on her clothes. Beckett went over the crime scene again in her mind. There had to be something there.

"Kate."

"Rick."

"I want to help."

Beckett looked up at his pleading eyes. "I know you do, but you're to close to this one, Castle."

"Ah, we're back to Castle. I like it when you call me Rick; I have more leeway with you." Castle sat down next to Beckett's desk. "Tell me what you have."

Beckett resisted.

"Please. She is my best friend in the world."

"I have Travis' blood and skin on her clothes, but that's easily explained by her breaking his nose. I have the hospital ER report. I have the ME report, which I haven't looked at yet…"

Castle took the report. Leafing through it, never having thought in his wildest dreams that he'd be looking at a report of someone he knew. He had never liked Travis all that much.

"I found something else too. I looked into Mackenzie's financial situation…"

"Hmmmm…"

"She's broke."

"Excuse me?"

"There are several withdrawals, several large withdrawals, made by you, Castle. I think she was making her way to your house to kill you next. If she found out you'd taken money from her…"

"I didn't take that money out," said Rick as he and Kate walked up to his apartment door.

"Then who did, Castle?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out, and when I do…"

"Don't say it, don't say you'll kill them, because when they turn up dead, I might have to arrest you."

"Right," said Castle zipping his lips with his thumb and forefinger.

They entered the apartment to find music playing and Alexis and Kenzi playing Guitar Hero.

"Certainly isn't acting like a guilty person," muttered Beckett.

"No, she is not."

"I heard I'm broke!" called Kenzi over the music. "You're mother kindly informed me earlier. She paid for the take out, by the way, with your credit card!"

"Yes," said Castle.

"That's ok, I'm rich in other ways and one of them is in imagination." Kenzi set the guitar down and walked over to them. "I have a theory…."

Ryan, now carrying the Nikki Heat novel under his arm, knocked on the door.

The secretary, Miss Gardner, opened the door.

Esposito, who was just behind Ryan, said, "Hello Miss Gardner, we're sorry to bother you this late, but we've had a break in the case."

"Oh."

"Can we come in, we just need to verify a few details about the fist fight."

"Please, come in," she said.

Earlier…..

"His throat was cut," said Castle.

"Uh huh," said Lanie Parish.

"But not with a rusty blade?"

"No, Castle what do you want to know?"

"It was someone who was right or left handed?"

"Right."

"Ah ha!"

"What?" asked Lanie and Beckett in unison.

"Kenzi is left handed. So left handed in fact that she wears her watch on her right hand. But, who wouldn't know that? She's always written her characters as left handed. A quirk of hers."

"Like the way Nikki Heat…," began Lanie.

"Hush!" snapped Beckett.

"Who benefits most from his death?" asked Castle.

"His ex-wives suffer, no more alimony, his current wife gets it all, and his mistress gets nothing," said Beckett. She was now pacing the room. Lanie leaned back and watched Beckett's mind turning. "Castle, when you write who knows what you are writing?"

"No one."

"But, someone would know if Dr. Travis were writing something. He had the tapes _transcribed _by someone, didn't he?" asked Castle with his trademark smirk.

"The secretary," said Beckett. "How many of these stories did Kenzi tell him?"

"A dozen, if not more," said Castle.

Beckett began to walk. "And if Kenzi _and _Travis are out of the picture…."

"Then the lovely Miss Gardner has free range to publish, albeit she'd have some reworking to do. Any publisher would jump at a Mackenzie Knight like novel."

"The missing money?" asked Beckett.

"My guess, Travis took it. The bastard asked for my autograph more times than I can count. Unless…."

"Unless?" asked Beckett.

"Unless the secretary did that too?" said Castle. "No, to many variables. No, I am willing to bet that Dr. Travis is the one who withdrew the money. We can check his bank accounts?"

"Already being done."

"Will Kenzi be able to get her money back?" asked Castle. They had exited the building and were marching towards Beckett's car.

"If we can track it, I'm sure something can be managed. Castle…."

"I know."

"I'm just following the evidence."

"I know."

"I never thought you'd be best friends with a murderer."

"I know."

"You're a smug son of a bitch."

"I know."

"And then she threatened him…," asked Ryan.

Now in the integration room, Miss Gardner, Jessica Gardner, was sitting with her arms crossed.

"Yes. Should I have a lawyer?"

"Only if you are hiding something," said Esposito. "Do you want a lawyer?"

"I think that would be prudent," said Jessica.

Esposito and Ryan left the room. Beckett and Castle should be here soon, they closed the door and walked away. She wasn't going anywhere.

Kenzi tugged her hat down close to her eyes. She slipped into the office area, Castle and Beckett were at her desk, debating loudly with Ryan and Esposito. She made her way to the interrogation room, where the woman who had tried to frame her was waiting. The bitch wanted a crazy woman, then she was going to get one.

She pushed the door open, and before Jessica could say a word, Kenzi had shoved a chair under the door handle.

"What are you doing?" asked Jessica.

"I did threaten to cut his head off with a rusty blade, but you, you I'll pummel with my bare hands," said Kenzi her hands on the table. "You heard every syllable I uttered in that office. You took something that I created and wanted to make it your own…."

"Kenzi!" yelled Rick from the other side of the window. He banged on the glass. "Kenzi, open the door."

"No! She took from me and I think I'll enjoy taking from her."

"I didn't do anything!" yelled Jessica.

"You did though, didn't you? You took my ideas, something I hadn't had in years, you stole them!" ranted Kenzi.

"Get a battering ram, now!" ordered Beckett. "Mackenzie, don't do this. We'll prove it was her."

"See, that's the beauty, I don't have to _prove _anything, Detective. I'm already crazy. I'll just plead temporary insanity and come back to my life. And I'll have gotten my slice of you."

"I didn't steal anything, I swear," pleased Jessica. "I didn't know it was yours until I saw the bank slips with your Mr. Castle's name on it!"

Kate turned and didn't see Ryan coming with the battering ram. She threw her shoulder into the door. It wasn't moving. "Mackenzie!"

"You see, I'm a nut," said Kenzi calmly. "I'm a total nut case, I've been on every medication imaginable and for the last three months, I've been med free. Maybe, maybe I did kill him. Maybe I'll kill you."

"No, hey! You guys out there get in here."

"They can't protect you. Unless they have you in some holding cell. Crazy people can walk through walls…."

Kenzi threw the chair that Kate usually sat in against the far wall. It bounced and landed close to Jessica who scurried away from the lunatic.

Kenzi hadn't touched her yet.

Yet.

Castle, Alexis, and the detectives were close to getting inside.

"If you confess, you can keep the money," said Kenzi. "If you confess you can keep the books, publish them, I don't care. I'll never say or do anything, I just want them to know that I didn't do it!" yelled Kenzi. "I am not a killer! I might have lost my mind, but I didn't kill him."

Ryan and Beckett crashed into the room. Jessica ran for the door. "I didn't mean to kill him, I wanted to scare him. I wanted my cut of the profit. He was getting rich and I wasn't, I just wanted what I thought was mine."

"What was mine," said Kenzi.

"I wanted to scare him…" broke down Jessica. "..and it got out of hand…. And I cut him, it was an accident… I tried to stop the bleeding…"

Castle rushed into the room and swept Mackenzie into his arms. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that she'd be scared that the crazy woman would kill her but you guys got here too fast. I wanted a little more time to torture her. I had this whole idea of crouching on the table until she squealed."

Ryan was leading Jessica Gardner out.

"I will get you!" yelled Kenzi.

"Enough," said Castle. "You're not crazy."

"Aren't I?"

Rick looked down at Kenzi, who was only an inch or so shorter than he was. He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. "You aren't."

"I'm not. But she needed to believe I was. Did that qualify as a confession?"

"It didn't need to. If you'd waited for Castle and I to come in here, we had proof she did it. There was blood on her bracelet. Castle noticed an odd mark on the back of his shirt, it was in the pattern of her bracelet. You wanted me to follow the evidence, didn't you?"

Kenzi smirked. "You were taking too long."

"It isn't like writing a novel, Kenzi. Things move at a different pace," said Castle.

"I'm going to have to charge you," said Beckett.

"For?" said Kenzi and Rick said in unison.

"Criminal withholding of Jessica Gardner, threatening with a lethal weapon, the chair. I can go on…," said Beckett.

"Fine. Book the crazy woman," said Mackenzie, extending her wrist in dramatic fashion.

"You're not crazy, but you are slightly out of control," said Beckett.

Captain Montgomery looked at the paper work, then up at Beckett, then back to the paper work. He closed the file. "Are you really going to press charges?"

"I was thinking I might."

"I was thinking you might not. The Mayor…"

"Him again, "grumbled Beckett. "Fine, whatever the Mayor wants, whatever Castle wants is more like it."

"You know the positive publicity that Rick has brought to the police force and to you."

"Uh huh."

"Are you going to the party that Castle is throwing in her honor?"

This had been bothering Beckett. She wanted to go see Castle, talk to him, but on the other hand, she didn't to see him talking to her so intimately. Seeing him talking to her in the interrogation room had rattled Kate more than she wanted to admit. Kate could see the love in his eyes when he looked at her. He wanted to protect her. "I don't know, Sir."

"I order you to go, I'm going."

"Yes, Sir."

Kate walked out of the Captain's office and headed home. To get dressed it seemed.

"There was this one time…," Castle was saying, recounting a tale about Kenzi to Ryan. The party was winding down, only Castle's real friends were left behind. Ryan, Esposito, Captain Montgomery, and Lanie Parish, and herself, Beckett had moved over to the stairs and sat down on the stairs. Martha was serving more drinks and if Beckett had one more, she'd never make it home.

"Have another one, darling," said Martha.

"No, I do have to make it home tonight."

"Nonsense, there is room here if you cannot find your way home. I'm sure my son could find something suitable for you to wear, besides your birthday suit, that is."

Kate smiled. She did like Castle's quirky family.

"Thank you." Kate took the drink and set it on the stair case.

"Martha, I think you need to go control your son, please? I'm tired of listening to how I was so perfect as a child," begged Mackenzie, slipping an easy arm around Martha's waist.

"Oh that boy simply won't be control, its why he's had so many wives you know."

"Mother, I heard that!" called Castle.

Kate and Mackenzie watched Martha glide to her son.

"They are hilarious," said Mackenzie. She sat one step below Kate. She's had her hair fixed, it was shorter now, framing her face perfectly. Kenzi looked up at Kate with a small smile playing on her lips.

"That they are."

"When did you and Castle hook up?" asked Mackenzie.

"Hook up? Us, no, never. Never been down that road. No. In his dreams, perhaps, or in his novels, but we have never _hooked _up."

Mackenzie laughed. "I meant how did he hook you into letting him follow you? I didn't let him visit often. I never found out. I didn't even know about Nikki Heat until a few days ago."

"Why didn't you let him visit you?"

Mackenzie mused this for a while. "You see, when I lost my marble, I felt like I'd lost Rick too."

Kate leaned forward. "I don't understand."

"That was our connection. Rick and I, we connected because we were slightly insane…"

"You can say that again."

"All right, slightly insane but we both were writers, we created these brilliant characters and vivid landscapes and mysteries. When I started having trouble with things, I started to lose my ability to write, to create. If I did, I got lost in it. Its infuriating to need to create and not be able too."

"You were afraid if he saw you that way he'd never look at you the same way."

"Pretty much," said Mackenzie. Mackenzie looked at Castle across the room and smiled. Best friends tended to be perfect in your mind, sometimes.

"He adores you."

Mackenzie laughed softly. "I adore him."

"So, why did you two never…?" Kate smiled and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Why have you two never?" asked Mackenzie.

Kate blushed hotly. "We have a working relationship."

"It's working alright," winked Mackenzie. "What has he told you about me?"

"Nothing actually. I knew only of your existence because I did a background check on him when he started tailing me. I wondered from time to time if you two had a falling out and just didn't speak anymore. I thought that was odd since he was still in your will and your POA."

"I don't think there is anything that could stop us from being friends. Well, we did stop talking for a while, once, when we were much younger," admitted Mackenzie.

"Ah, see….."

"He kissed me."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, Beckett, she's not my type," said Rick. He leaned on the railing and smiled demurely at Kenzi.

"Isn't she?" laughed Beckett having obviously had one to many drinks. "Castle, I thought anything of the female persuasion was your type."

"No, she's not my type. _You're _more her type."

Beckett processes that for a moment. Kenzi was laughing so hard one step below her that tears had formed in her grey eyes. "Oh!" said Kate.

"That was a classic response. And, Rick, Beckett is your type, not mine. Well, since I don't get that gay vibe from her," Mackenzie winked at Kate. "I'd love to stay and chat, but you know I have a flight to catch."

"Flight?" said Castle and Beckett in unison.

"Mmm, yup. Los Angeles. My publisher, _our _publisher called. I have some meetings and since the great city of NYC isn't pressing charges, I'm free to come and go as I please. It was nice meeting you, Kate. I'll call you tomorrow, Rick." Mackenzie kissed his cheek lovingly. "I promise, I won't be a stranger."

Mackenzie was gone the same way she'd come. Right out Castle's door.

"Rick?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're going to miss her, aren't you?"

"I have been missing her since the day I met her. She's like a chimera, hard to believe she is real and definitely hard to understand."

"Then, Castle, go after her," prodded Kate. "Tell her to stay, meetings can wait."

"No, you see," said Castle turning towards Kate, "That's why I adore her. It's why I miss her. If I learned everything about her, every nuance, every iota of her, then she'd cease to be who she is to me. Unlike you, Beckett the more I know about you, the more I want to be around you. With Kenzi, it's the complete opposite. Yet, you are both very much alike."

"Are we now?" asked Kate her smile flashing. "Do I give _you _the gay vibe?"

"No. You are both stubborn, hard headed, intelligent, difficult to read…"

"Hey!"

"Did I mention gorgeous?"

"No, you did not and flattery will get you nowhere with me, Castle."

"Yet another reason you two are similar. You both accept me for who I am."

"Rogue and all," said Kate. "I do have to get home. I, unlike you, have to work in the morning."

"Hey, Beckett!" called Ryan.

"Yeah?"

"We've got a case."

"A good one?" asked Castle.

"Twisted. It took places in a BDSM club," said Esposito.

"Oh I'm so in!" laughed Castle.

"Great."

It was back to the grind.


	2. Chapter 2

Rick Castle was running.

Running for his life, because the perp they had been chasing had turned the tables on them and he was now chasing Rick. Beckett was somewhere. Please let Beckett be somewhere.

Where he didn't know, but he was about to be out of breath and this guy was closing in on him. He was in need of a good cardiovascular workout, but this wasn't the way he had wanted to be getting it. Castle rounded the corner and came face to face with Beckett, she said one word.

"Duck."

Castle just dropped, his knees hit the ground, hands over his head and squealed loudly.

Beckett didn't say a word, she pulled the trigger and nailed the perp in the shoulder, sending him flying back. He squealed too.

Castle looked up at her as she holstered her gun, his breath was caught in his throat, not only because he had run more than he had in all his years of high school, but the sight before him was breathtaking.

"You can get up now, Castle."

"No, I sort of like this view….."

"And Castle just _drops_ to his knees…," recounted Beckett.

"Do you have to tell, everyone?" asked Rick.

"I do," said Beckett. "And he squealed. Like a girl."

Rick moved over to her desk and sat in her chair. Beckett gave him a sly grin.

Esposito and Ryan walked away, laughing at the tale behind cupped hands.

"You know, I'm going to miss you, Castle."

"Miss me? Where am I going? Am I going somewhere? You can't fire me. Why will you miss me?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm going on vacation, I do take those once in a while."

"Oh."

He was crestfallen. A vacation, which meant days without Beckett. "For how long?"

"A week."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to stay home."

"Do you – want to go somewhere?"

"Why, Castle, you going to buy me a ticket to a private resort in the Bahamas'?"

"Do you want me too?" asked Castle. In his mind he was begging for her to say yes, please, say yes, Kate. I will take you away if you want me too.

"How about I buy you that ticket and go with you, show you how the other half of the world lives. But, not the Bahamas, Hawaii the sand is marvelous and the people are friendlier," said Kenzi Knight from behind Beckett. Kenzi slid up besides Kate, a gentle hand on the small of her back. "Hello you two, solving more cases I presume?"

Kate blushed. Had Kenzi just offered to take her on vacation?

Kate cleared her throat. "We just solved one. A case."

"Don't tell her about the knees," said Castle. He stood up and swept Kenzi into a hug. "Hello stranger." He kissed her cheek and finally set her down.

"It's been three weeks, Rick. We've talked practically every day."

"Every _other _day and I missed you," said Rick. "Now that you are back in my life, I tend to want to see you."

"Me too. So, Detective Beckett, my offer stands," said Kenzi. She turned to face Kate, her grey eyes were even more mischievous than Castle's, if that was at all possible.

"Please, call me Kate," said Kate.

"All right, Kate… Actually, can I steal Rick from you, just for a minute?"

"Please do," said Kate. "You don't really have to return him, I'm done with him for the day."

Kate excused herself and Kenzi sat down in Beckett's chair.

"Don't touch anything on the chair, please," begged Castle.

"She'll blame you," smiled Kenzi. "Thank you for the nice talk up with your building manager."

"Ah did you get the apartment?" asked Castle.

"No."

Castle frowned.

"I took the penthouse instead," said Kenzi.

"The. The penthouse?" asked Castle. "Um. You can afford the penthouse?"

Kenzi grinned. "Rick, I've been outselling you all my life. I have movie deals. I have tv deals. I have wonderful investments. I got the money back that Travis stole from me."

"Ah!" said Rick. "I have deals too."

"You do."

"I do."

They smiled at each other. This was old hat, the pissing contest that led nowhere because they were equals.

"I will walk you out."

"You can do that," said Kenzi.

They hooked elbows and began to walk from the building. As they were exiting, they met up with Detective Beckett. "Where are the two off you off too?"

"I am moving into my new apartment," said Kenzi.

"Penthouse," muttered Castle sorely.

"Congratulations," smiled Kate.

"Want to help me christen the place?" asked Kenzi, wiggling her eyebrows. "I have boxes to unpack and beds to test."

"Damn it!" said Rick as he phone buzzed, reminding him of something or another. "I have a meeting with Gina! Darn it! I'll get you a cab."

"No, don't bother, Castle. I'll drive her. I'm officially on vacation," offered Kate.

Castle shook his head at Kate. Kate waved him off. "I'm a big girl, Castle, I can handle driving Kenzi to her new place. Where is your new place?"

"Same address as me, but she has the penthouse," whispered Castle.

"He's sore about that," said Kenzi. "You really don't mind?"

"No, not at all. I'd like to pick your brain about Castle…" Kate winked.

"Oh, then, please lead the way to your chariot and whisk me away," said Kenzi.

"Um, Beckett, a moment?"

Kenzi whipped out her new cell phone and began to surf the web, keeping her grey eyed gaze on the two of them.

Castle leaned close to Kate. "You realize that she – she – she likes you and she's, well, rather gay?"

Kate smiled, patting Castle's shoulder. "As I said before, Castle, I'm a big girl. And I'm a cop. I don't think she can take me."

"Oh, but she can. Take you, I have seen her in action. I've seen her seduce straight women, women that I was dating. I kid you not, if Kenzi Knight wants you in her bed. She'll get you in her bed."

"Richard," began Kate.

"Oh, first names," groaned Rick.

"I like Kenzi, I like her because she's well, a lot like you, but different. She annoys me less, but I think that's because she's a girl. I'll be fine, Castle, I promise not to do anything that will embarrass you."

"Oh, it's not that. I just. I-Um-I-Um." Castle didn't know what else to say. What could he say.

"Castle?" asked Kate, something in his eyes. Something was different. "Rick?"

"I worry, is all."

"About Kenzi, oh, I get it. Don't worry I promise not to hurt Kenzi, really, I just like her, she seems like she's a great woman. And we have you in common. I don't have very many friends, as you well know, outside the job."

Kate began to walk away but Castle couldn't say that it was _Kate _he was worried about. It was _Kate _that he felt the need to look after.

Kate opened the passenger's door to her car and Kenzi slipped in. As they roared past him, his cell phone buzzed and a message from Kenzi appeared, _Don't worry, Handsome, I have no intentions of hitting on Kate. Or kissing Kate. Or doing anything with Kate. I'm tugging your chain. Patience, she'll admit she adores you. Someday. K._

Kenzi reached forward and was about to flick on the blue lights and Kate reached over and slapped her hand.

"Ouch!"

"You know, Castle does that too."

"Oh I'm sure."

"You really are so much alike."

"We both like girls," giggled Kenzi. "I'm sorry I shouldn't tease like that. But Castle and I have gone after the same women before."

"How did that turn out?"

"I always get the girl," smiled Kenzi.

Kate blushed. "Really? I don't find that hard to believe."

"No?"

"No."

"Has Rick told you that he likes you? I mean, he dedicated his book to you. You know how rare that is, don't you?"

Kate put her turn signal on and waited until she was had merged back into traffic to speak. "I do know that. I think, I think I reignited a spark in him, a creative spark."

"No, a spark, you were right the first time," smiled Kenzi. "I am glad. Someone was around to take care of him when I wasn't around. I worry about him. A lot more than I should, but then again…"

"He is Castle," they said together.

"And he needs someone," said Kenzi. "I am very glad you are that somebody."

"Thank you."

They drove into the parking garage of the building. Kenzi was out of the car before Beckett could put it in park. "Thank you for the ride!"

"Um, don't I have an offer to come check out the new crib?"

Kenzi stopped short, spinning on her heels. "You do."

"I do. I want to see what the city looks like from up there."

"The best view is from…"

"Let me guess: the bedroom?" asked Kate. "Let me take this stuff off, I'm officially on vacation." Kate leaned into the car, removing her gun and her badge. It wasn't something she would do just anywhere. The thing was, the building was secure, and she highly doubted anyone who could afford to be in this building would steal a car. All around her were BMW's, Jag's, the lowest end car, behinds her own, was a Lexus.

"Don't you have a second gun?" asked Kenzi, leaning on the car next to Kate's.

"I do, how did you know that?" asked Kate.

"Most cops do. A research thing, a few cops I interviewed always, always kept a knife somewhere. Most women kept it…"

Kate cleared her throat and Kenzi laughed. "I thought so!"

Kate straightened up and smiled at Kenzi. "You are bad ass, you know that? I mean, Castle does know a lot of things, mostly about everything. You, well your knowledge base is different, bad ass different."

"Oh yeah, baby, I'm psycho ward certified!" Kenzi threw her hands up on the air and wiggled her ass, letting out a whoop.

Kate shook her head and smiled. She hadn't smiled this much in ages. What was it about Kenzi that made her smile so much? "You know, I never asked, but is it ok that I call you Kenzi?"

"Yeah. It's a Castle thing."

"I figured it was, since I heard other people at the party calling you Mac. How did that come about, Castle calling you Kenzi? I mean, your full name is Mackenzie, right?"

"It is," said Kenzi. "As you well know since you questioned me and even were ready to process me for murder."

"So, do tell?"

Kenzi leaned up against Kate's car. "Well, I used to call him Dick. So he thought he'd use Kenzi. After a while, I couldn't call him Dick anymore, it just didn't fit, instead I called him Rick Castle, if you say it fast, really fast, it sounds like Rick Asshole. He loved it. I asked him one day, about the time I was about to graduate from college and I asked him why I was still Kenzi and not Mac. He told me, 'You are much too complicated a woman for a simple nickname, Kenzi. Kenzi holds that mystery that I so adore about you'."

"He calls me Beckett," said Kate.

"He calls me Knight when he's mad at me, or when I'm right. So I bet you are right a lot of the time with him. He most certainly isn't angry at you."

Kenzi reached out and took Kate's hand. "Come on, darling, let me show ya my penthouse."

They began to walk away from the car and towards the elevator. The ear shattering screech of tires made both women turn. A van was thundering towards them. Kenzi yanked Kate out of the way and as the van passed them, a soft _swoosh _sound came from the passengers side as it came to a shrieking halt.

Kenzi grabbed her shoulder, her grey eyes glazed over. Her fingers pulled the tranquilizer dart from her shoulder. "Oh this is rich."

Kenzi dropped to her knees. "Run," said Kenzi.

Kate reached back for her gun, but it wasn't there, before she could do anything, she heard the _swoosh _again and felt the odd sting in her shoulder.

Kenzi was struggling to get up, she had reached around Kate and pulled the dart from her shoulder. Dragging her back, away from the van where the dart had come from. "Kate, keep…stay with me."

"Who?"

"No matter, matter we move." Kate saw Kenzi doing something, reaching into her pocket for something but Kate's vision began to blur.

Two more _swoshswosh _and both of them were shot again, and the last thing Kate remembered was a set of feet, clad in black boots, walking towards them. The only thought in her mind was, _who were they after?_

Rick was getting out of his car, parked only a few slots away from Beckett's. He walked to it, black, totally nondescript. The least expensive car in the garage, he was sure. He reached out and touched the back of the car. Letting his fingers caress the smooth paint. He stopped at the car. Placing his hands on the back of the car and took a deep breath. Kenzi said she wasn't after Kate, and he had to believe her. In all their time as friends she had never lied to him. Yet, in the back of his mind, he doubted. He doubted because Kenzi knew what he was denying himself. He wanted Beckett. He wanted Kate.

It had been a long time since he'd felt what he felt for Beckett. Not since college. Not since the one time he'd kissed Kenzi. One time. That electric fever that had possessed him for a moment, one drunken moment, one moment that he would eternally be grateful that Kenzi had forgiven him for. But his fever for Kate was building and it edged him closer to throwing away their friendship for more. For the ultimate adventure in love, Rick wanted that with Kate. He wanted that moment with Kate.

That was what worried him. What if Kate had that moment? With Kenzi? Oh that would be bad all around, wouldn't it? Then a vision of that tap danced into his head, Kenzi and Kate kissing. "Ohhhh….." Castle bit his knuckle softly.

Castle then shook his head. Kate had never indicated that she liked women, what was he worried about? Castle smiled and began to strut away from the car. He was almost at the elevator when something struck him as odd. He turned away from the elevator and walked back to Beckett's car. He then walked back towards the elevator. There were skid marks there. He stopped between a Honda and a Jaguar and a glint of something caught his eye. He got down on his knees and saw what it was.

It was Kate's badge.

Kate's green eyes fluttered open. Then closed again. The tug of the darkness was all to enticing and she let herself drift back there. A wretched pain in her right wrist began to wake her again. What had she done? Had she fallen?

Yes.

Fallen. Next to Kenzi.

"Kenzi?" groaned Kate. She coughed away the dryness in her mouth and opened her eyes to meet the dimness of the room.

Kenzi was indeed in the room, shackled to the wall, both hands over her head. Her breast pressed against the tight fitting shirt she was wearing, it had ridden up to reveal her wide belt and smooth stomach.

"Kenzi, Kenzi, wake up."

Kate began to take inventory of herself and the room.

It was dim, damp, and virtually clutter free. A small table at the far end of the room, which seemed bolted to the floor. The door looked like reinforced steal. That was the least of her worries. Her first worry was the one chain that was keeping her shackled to the wall. A brand new Masters padlock kept the cuff closed. Kate tugged. She only had one hand chained to the wall, while Kenzi had two. That led Kate to believe that Kenzi was the intended victim.

Kate repositioned herself on the dingy floor and reached out to touch Kenzi. There was blood on her lips. "Kenzi, Mackenzie!"

Kenzi grimaced.

Kate felt for a pulse at her neck.

"No dead. Me no dead," said Kenzi in an odd voice. "I bit him, bit the bastard and I can still taste his rancid blood."

"You bit him?"

"Damn right I did."

Kenzi opened her eyes and met Kate's gaze. "Well. This isn't the way I had envisioned spending any time tied up with you around, Detective Beckett."

Kate burst out in an awkward giggle. "Do you always think in a sexual manner?"

"Oh yeah."

"It's nice to see the two of you awake."

A mechanically clouded voice came through a small speaker on the table.

Neither women spoke.

"Ah, the silence treatment, how appropriate, I must say, I got two for the price of one this time. I did want one of you, but the both of you? In one swoop? How alluring a target. It did move up my plans, but we must be able to change ourare plans, must we not?"

"Of course. Like I was planning on taking a nice, long, steamy bath tonight. Oh wait, I'm still going to do that, after I find you and beat your ass!" yelled Kenzi.

"Ah, Mackenzie Knight speaks. Please do not bother with the insanity act. I know you are as sane as anyone here."

"Well, at least as sane as Beckett, since you must be out of your mind doing this. Who are you?" asked Kenzi.

Beckett was busy looking around the room, hoping to spy a camera if there was one. She saw nothing.

"You are oddly silent, Katherine."

"I am." She was going to stay silent and let Kenzi do the talking. She was concentrating on seeing and feeling things out. Kenzi could play psycho babble with the psycho.

"Do you want to know why I have brought you here?"

"I'm sure you'll tell me when you're ready."

"I wish neither of you any harm. I do, however, want to take something away from Richard Castle, since he took something from me. Now, I will take something from him. The both of you. I will simply leave you here."

"No you won't," said Kenzi. You won't because you will need Rick to find us, don't t you? Or at least find us dead, right?"

"Ah, all in due time. In a few days I will leave a trail for the sleuth to follow and when he does, he will find you, starved and dehydrated."

"Better be a few weeks, I can go a long time," answered Kenzi.

A soft laugh. "Yes, I am sure you can, Mackenzie."

"What did Castle do to you?"

"He took from me."

Kenzi shrugged.

"I will leave you. I have no interest in watching you, only Castle, only the Rook himself is interesting enough to gaze at for hours. Do not try to escape as there is no way out of the room, or even out of those shackles."

A squawk and the speaker ceased to broadcast.

"That was odd," said Kenzi. She arched her back and looked at the shackles that held her tight. How unadvantageous that both hands were tied up. "Kate, take off my belt."

"Excuse me?"

Kenzi blinked. "Take. Off. My. Belt."

"Kenzi…"

"Do you want to get out of here?"

"I do."

"Then take my belt off! The buckle is made of titanium, I'm a rich girl, don't roll your eyes at me. You see the pin on the other side of the shackle? The hinge? Use the prong to push the hinge pin out. It might take a while to do all three."

"You are a genius," said Kate. She extended her hand and began to fumble with Kenzi's belt buckle. Her knuckles brushed Kenzi's warm skin. "Sorry."

"I've been touched by worse," teased Kenzi. "We're going to get out of here. Asshole out there thinks he's got two women caught like mice, he just didn't realize what women he is contending with."

Kate felt suddenly reassured. "Sorry, I'm used to doing this with both hands." Kate finally yanked off the belt and set to work.

Swarms of detectives and crime scene people were on their knees, taking samples and doing their thing. All he could do was sit across the garage and stare.

Kenzi _and _Kate were gone. Kidnapped it would seem.

"Dad?"

Castle stood up and Alexis hugged him hard. Castle closed his eyes and relished the touch of his daughter. He smelled her hair, felt the pressure she was exerting on him with her arms.

"What can I do to help?" asked Alexis.

"Nothing baby, we have to let the officer's do their job."

Alex pulled away from him. "Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, huh. Since when do you sit back? Hmmm? Never. Dad, this is Kenzi, and Detective Beckett, we have to help."

Esposito bounded over to them. "This is what we have…."

He began to tell them about the badge, the discarded dart filled with tranquilizer and Kenzi's cell phone. "Found it clear down over where Kate's car was. She must have thrown it. Here is the kicker, girl took a bunch of pictures."

"That's my girl," smiled Rick.

"Want to ride with us to the precinct? We can download them and scrutinize until we figure something out."

"Detective, I realize we don't know what is going on, but can we have some uniforms stationed outside my apartment?" asked Castle.

"Dad?"

"Listen, Alex, I don't know what is going on, but whoever did this got into a secure building. I'd rather not chance anything."

"Consider it done," said Esposito.

Castle cupped Alexis face. "Call your grandmother and tell her that she needs to get home. Immediately. Tell her what happened, tell her to be careful. Tell her…"

"I will. Go find Detective Beckett and Kenzi, dad."

"I'll try."

After almost an hour, Beckett had pried the pin from her shackle and was now working diligently at freeing Kenzi.

Kenzi had maneuvered herself to a sitting position, her feet towards the cold wall. She was feeling sick. Beckett was trying to hurry, but the pin was halfway out and she couldn't pry it out anymore.

Kenzi had hypothesized that she was having an adverse drug reaction to whatever had been in the dart.

"I'm so going to puke."

Kate got up, abandoning her task and looked around the room. There was a table with a drawer under it, more than likely for utensils.

Kate tore it from its resting place and dropped it next to Kenzi. "It's not elegant."

Kenzi rocked back and forth. "Get these things off me, please."

Kate worked at Kenzi's left hand. Something in Kenzi's demeanor put Kate on alert. Something was working at Kenzi. Unsure if the nausea was from the drugs or something deeper. Kate forced herself to remember that not to long ago, Kenzi had been in a mental ward.

"Kenzi?"

"Hmmm?"

"Let me work the right one," said Kate softly.

Kate kept her body close to Kenzi's, taking her right hand, slipping into lap and beginning to press the prong into the small bolt that was keeping Kenzi captive.

Kate felt the prong slipping and she was having difficulty getting the angle right. "Can you sit against the wall?"

Kenzi nodded. She maneuvered herself into position. Her brow furrowed with wonder. Kenzi pressed her back to the wall, the cold of the brick centering her.

Kate gently spread Kenzi's legs and sat down between them. She then took Kenzi's hand and pulled it around her. "I can get a better angle this way."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night, Detective Beckett."

Kate smiled. Glad that Kenzi couldn't see her face, Kate huffed and said, "Whatever it takes to get you out of this, I'm willing to do. Talk to me."

"Huh?"

"Talk to me, about anything. Tell me how you and Castle met. About an adventure the two of you had. Anything."

Kenzi closed her grey eyes. "Adventure, you could say we had a few. Mostly, it was about having someone who kept you sane, grounded, looking forward to seeing or talking too."

"Old married couple."

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it? It wasn't. Not really, we kept each other on our toes. We are alike but vastly different. I don't like to be as sardonic as he does."

"No, instead you turn everything into a sexual innuendo."

"Not everything."

Kate felt Kenzi's body softening then tensing, she was forcing herself to relax. Kate worked harder at the pin. It was wiggling free slowly but it was moving. Kate pushed harder, not wanting to break the prong. Kenzi had been right, it was strong.

"Kate…"

"Yeah?"

"Can you…can you back away?"

Kate moved and Kenzi shot up off the floor. She kicked the wall hard, then slapped it with an open hand, the chain rattling hard. Kenzi was breathing hard and her whole body shook.

"Damn it."

Kate waited. Was Kenzi having some sort of melt down? If so, Kate was almost glad she was chained to the wall.

"I hate being held down. I hate being close to someone. I don't like." Kenzi had her back to Kate, her forehead was pressed to the cold brick wall. "It's a connection and I don't do connections well, Beckett. I've never had a relationship longer than a week." Kenzi's hands were flat on the wall. Her whole body shook. "They used to buckle me down when I first got to the Oakes. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with…."

Kate felt as if she'd invaded Kenzi's realm. Kate licked her lips, wanting desperately to say or do something. She took a timid step forward and placed her hand on Kenzi's shoulder. "Kenzi, I want us to get out of here alive. To do that, I need to get those cuffs off you. If you want, you can do it, I'm just being the commanding presence I am by taking over. Here," Kate reached around and placed the belt in Kenzi's hand. Kenzi turned.

"Thanks."

"You just had to ask."

"I didn't realize I was as freaked out as I was. It hits me hard sometimes. I forget how messed up I was. I lost a lot of myself in that place, I'm just getting it back."

Kate smiled reassuringly. "Get to work."

Kenzi slid to the floor and Kate began to explore the room in earnest. She rattled the table, it was small, 3 feet by 3 feet. One chair that was old and barely solid enough to hold a human being. The door was reinforced steel and the hinges were on the outside of the door. Which meant it swung out. No place to hide to jump the bastard if he came back. There were not windows. The only light provided was from the four enclosed bulbs in each corner of the room.

It was a secure room. The bastard had thought of everything. Or so it seemed.

"Kate, that knife of yours…"

"Oh my god."

Kate reached up under her shirt and found the small three inch knife. It wasn't much, it really was more for flicking open drawers and such. She fumbled with it, hidden in her bra, along the underwire. She pulled it out to find Kenzi smiling.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, really, what?"

Kenzi blushed. "I um, sorry, my mind… wandered – Nikki…"

"Oh!"

Kenzi licked her lips and laughed. "I'm so sorry but I just found that to be rather sexy. And, in all honestly, I haven't been around someone so damn attractive in a long time. And – shackled to a wall."

Kate knelt next to Kenzi. The writer's eyes darted to the knife. Kate ignored the last sentence. "What do you want the knife for?"

"There is a panel up there, air exchange. This is an older building, pretty sure that we can fit in there. But."

"But?"

"The pin won't budge anymore. My fingers are raw. So…."

Kenzi took the knife from Kate's warm hand. Smiling at where the knife had been only minutes before. With her left thumb, Kenzi flipped it open. "The only problem is I'm very left handed and I know I can't do this with my right."

"Do what exactly?" asked Kate.

"The blood loss will be extreme, but if you start from the back of my hand and we cut the radial artery last, and use my belt to…"

"You want me to cut your hand off?" yelled Kate.

"It's the only thing I can think of."

"I'm not cutting off your hand."

"It's not like you're ever going to use it. I can type one handed, really…."

"I'm not cutting off your hand, Kenzi."

"Kate. This guy, this kidnapper, he's going to come back. We are going to die here. I'd rather die trying to get out of here than die here."

Kate watched as Kenzi flipped the knife over and handed it back to her. Kate took a deep breath and took the knife.


	3. Chapter 3

Castle 3

"We have a ransom note, people!" the Captain called out over the din in the bullpen.

Castle, for once, said nothing. He'd been staring hard at the white board, which had Ryan's hand writing scrawled all over it. He missed Kate's clean crisp writing. Her thoughts. The way she organized things. Ryan had everything scattered everywhere. He wanted to erase it and start fresh.

"Castle!"

"Sir," said Castle seriously as he turned.

"Note is addressed to you."

"To. Me?" asked Castle. He stood. Each muscle telepathing his exhaustion, he edged his way through the crowd, which parted with ease, and to the Captain.

"Yes."

Castle opened the note with shaking fingers. He could feel the sweat building on his brow. Please, please don't let them be dead.

_**Roses are red.**_

_** Violets are blue.**_

_** This the moment you dread.**_

_** Do you miss those I've taken from you?**_

_** I will help you seek and search.**_

_** I will knock you off your perch. **_

_** There is a clue**_

_** Right where I left if for you**_

_** Check Detective Beckett's desk**_

_** Then we can lay her down to rest.**_

Castle read the note twice. Then a third time. He handed it to Ryan, who had gloves on. "Castle?"

"I haven't a clue," said the writer. "I have no idea. I do not know who did this, but obviously they knew about…."

"About?" asked the Captain.

"Nothing…" Castle shook his head. "They knew that Kate would be – be someone I cared for. I must have spited someone. But why take Kenzi?"

"Opportunity? They were together," offered Esposito. He was already calling for the forensic team to come collect the note. "Anyone going to check the desk?"

The room was still. It took all the courage that Castle had to open Beckett's left hand drawer. All that was there was Beckett's back up gun. He sat in her chair, a lump in his throat. He opened the right drawer and saw it. A black rose.

Castle then understood just who had kidnapped Beckett. And it wasn't good.

At all.

Kenzi's wrist was bleeding slightly, the shackled had cut into it as she and Kate had tried to get the last stubborn pin out. To no avail. Kate had refused to cut her hand off, it was an asinine thought to begin with. So Kenzi had been working very hard at moving the pin. It wasn't giving. Kate had moved the table to the center of the room. The small grate over head had been removed, but Kate had been unable to squeeze through it.

"You could go up there naked," said Kenzi. Her finger tips were bleeding from pulling and twisting.

Kate turned and looked at her. "What?"

"You might fit through there naked is all I mean."

"Uh huh."

Kenzi sat back against the wall, the cool chain draped over her shoulder. "If you can crawl out of here, do it. Don't you stay here because of me."

"I can't. I don't fit."

Kate thought she might fit, and Kenzi was right, without the pants, just a bit too wide in the waist line, thought Kate. But she wasn't leaving without Kenzi. Her gaze drifted to Kenzi, who looked frazzled. Her whole body was an electric wire of energy.

"You do. I know you do. Kate…."

"No," said Kate jumping down from the table. "You listen to me, I am not going anywhere without you. I won't leave here without you by my side, are we clear?"

Kenzi's cool grey eyes looked at the floor. "If you go, you can get help."

Kate didn't believe a word that Kenzi had just uttered. Kenzi was an awful liar.

"And if I'm not in time? What if we are in the middle of nowhere? MMM? We don't know how long we were out. We know nothing. Kenzi – I'm not leaving you. We are stronger together."

Kate took Kenzi's hand and began to fiddle with the shackle. The blood tainted the smell of the room. Kenzi was unmoving. Kate was sitting facing her, very close to her, but Kenzi remained statuesque.

"I need you to go."

"No."

"I need you to go," repeated Kenzi.

"No."

"I need you to go because Castle needs one of us in his life. Do you understand? Go, go so that when this bastard comes back, and I think he will, I'll have no reason not to try and kill him first. Kate…. Please go? Take care of Rick and Alexis."

Kate felt the tears swelling in her eyes. "Mackenzie, you are much more…"

"I'm not needed. I was gone and they did well without me, Beckette. I'm the one shackled to the wall, you're free, damn it, Beckett, go."

Kate met Kenzi's fiery gaze. God, there was passion in those eyes. What Beckett wouldn't give…? Then she cut that thought off at the knees.

Kate cupped Kenzi's face. "Listen to me. He's going to come back. You are right. We are going to come up with a brilliant plan to do his ass in."

"Brilliant?"

"Bloody brilliant."

Kenzi smiled. Then took a deep, hitching breath. Kate moved back slightly. Not wanting to crowd her again. Then she saw it, the same childlike look that Castle got when his mind began to churn out all those possible storylines of his for each case.

"The door swings out…."

"Yes," said Kate.

"But, under the opening and to the corner, is still a blind spot. The knife, a weapon, albeit not a good one," whispered Kenzi. Kate said nothing, not wanting to interrupt her flow of thought. "We don't know how big he is. We'll bet he'll have his trank gun and say another weapon. Hands full? No, just one. We position the table as so, the grate where he can visually see it. Me still chained to the wall…." Kenzi rattled the chain. "He'll rush in, perhaps. Ah, if I'm screaming and howling at the moon, he may just. You need to drive him closer to me."

"Why?" asked Kate.

"I can wrap this chain around him and…"

"Kenzi, you can't kill him."

"I can, however, cut off the air to his itty bitty brain and knock him out," said Kenzi.

"Hmmmm."

Kenzi smiled. "Remember, there are two kinds of folk who sit around all day thinking about killing. Murderers and mystery writers. I'm the one that pays better…."

"Castle told you that one!"

"No, actually we came up with it together one night, a long time ago, we were so drunk…"

"How drunk? I don't see Castle losing control that easily."

Kenzi pulled aimlessly at the pin again. Her fingertips raw. "That was a great night, and an awful one. He'd just written his first really worthy piece. He had an agent, he wasn't into the whole Storm series yet. But, it was good, it wasn't great, it wasn't award winning, but damn it was money in his pocket. I'd already published a few short stories. We were sharing a two bedroom in the City. He was going out with Alexis mother at the time. It was an on and off thing. So drunk. Celebrating like idiots, we went bowling, came home, stumbled into the apartment. Betting about who would sell more books, who would be on the Best Seller's list the longest."

"Sounds like a great night."

"It was." More pin pulling. Kate watched her. Something bad had happened that night.

"Then?"

"More alcohol, ice cream and then it happened. It always happens, when friendship takes that turn, you know the one I mean?"

"Oh…."

Kenzi smiled again. "He just kissed me. I was livid. I-I was so mad at him. We do have that chemistry the one that would last us a lifetime. How I wished, more than once, that I was straight. It would have made life oh-so easy."

"But you don't see him that way."

"No. He looks stunning in a suit. I love the way he smiles and just one side of his lips will curl up when he's being mischievous. How he bites his knuckle like a girl sometimes. I love the color of his hair, his eyes, how his hand feels on my arm. But I have no want to ever have sex with him," said Kenzi softly. "I've never said that to anyone before."

"Admit that you're gay?"

Another laugh. "No, admit that I love Castle, but simply not in that way. I've always played it off. I'd spend the rest of my life in bliss with him, but I'd never let him in my bed."

"You do have that – that chemistry."

"You do to."

Kate's eyebrows arched up. "With?"

"Castle," said Kenzi. "You deny it. You love that he's modeled Nikki Heat after you. You give him a hard time about it but deep down you know you are flattered. You love his quirks. You let him walk you down the hallway, elbows interlocked. You look at him and don't hate him as you did when you first got saddled with him. You'd miss him if he were gone."

"If you ever tell him this I'll deny it." Kate paused. "I would miss him."

"If we get out of this, tell him that, ok? Even if you just tell him you would miss his everyday friendship."

"No 'if's' about it. We will get out of this."

"Yes, Detective."

"In college I wrote a short story, a precursor, so to speak, of one of my Storm novels. It was published in the New Yorker. Another student in one of my classes, Jamie Fenter, claimed I had stolen his idea. We did have one thing in common, the black roses given to one of the grieving relatives. Mine, however, was well written, his was not."

"What does this have to do with Beckett?" asked Ryan.

"I am surmising that he is recreating his short story. A kidnapper, if I recall, snatches someone close to a person he knows. He locks them in an abandoned warehouse, along a water front. He proceeds to lay clues for the loved one. The last and final clue, is accompanied by a black rose. It was an ill conceived plot at best, lackluster characters…."

"Castle," grumbled the captain.

"Right," said Castle. "We can start by finding out where Jamie is? I last saw him three years ago. He came to a book signing. Caused quite the ruckus. Kenzi was there. She, um was charged with assault, but the charges were dropped."

"Ah, you are friends with the Mayor," said Esposito.

Castle cleared his throat. "No… Kenzi was sleeping with one of the district attorneys at the time."

"Lucky man," quipped Esposito.

"Noo…. Lucky woman."

"No?" asked Ryan.

"Yes," answered Castle.

"Damn, I was going to ask her out….," said Esposito.

"Better luck in another pond, my friend," said Ryan slapping Javier on the shoulder. "I'm going to go run this guy's name, get his address and anything else I can find on him. Hang tight. Castle, any details about that short story might help. He wasn't planning on 'napping them both, that might help us."

Castle sat down in Kate's chair as everyone went off to do real police work.

Kenzi and Kate. Locked away in some cold dank place. "Hey! Ryan! How many abandoned warehouses can there be in the city?"

"Hundreds Castle," answered Ryan.

"Great," muttered Castle.

He grabbed the forensics report and began to look through it. Everything from tire marks to air readings. Nothing told him anything. "The van…."

Castle stood up and dialed his phone. "Ernie, it's Rick Castle. Listen, you still tape all the vehicles that come in and out of the building right? Could you messenger those over to Police Plaza? ASAP. I'm on the 5th floor. Thank you so very much. Esposito! Why didn't you request the vids from the garage?"

"We did, building manager said they didn't tape."

"Oh he doesn't, but Ernie, the guard on duty, does…. You see, he has a blog and he blogs about cars and the people who drive them. They are on their way here. He had to have stopped and checked in with Ernie before heading up to where we park. He even knew what floor we parked on. Perhaps he was after Kenzi?"

"Could be. Nice thought, Castle."

"Hmmm, pays to know the people you live around. I have this new neighbor, her name is Tara, nice legs…."

Kate and Kenzi were propped against the wall, shoulder to shoulder, listening. They were waiting. The table, the grate, everything was in place. All Kate had to do was scurry over to the door, duck down and wait. Wait to attack. Kenzi had given up pulling on the pin. It hadn't budged. There was one inch, one mere inch to go before it slipped completely out and allowed them both to escape into the air exchange.

"It smells like water," whispered Kenzi.

"What?"

"Us, we're close to the water. Can you smell it?"

Kate sniffed the air. Kenzi was right. "You would make a great detective."

"Air is heavier too. Thicker. This used to be an office. The window was blocked off up there." Kenzi indicated the wall to their right. "The bricks are different color, so it the cement. Whoever did this has been planning a long, long, long time."

"Someone who has it out for Castle."

Kenzi's eyes closed. Kate stared at her for a long time. She looked completely serene. At peace with whatever was about to happen. A twitch, just a small one under her right eye then her eye snapped open.

"Mother…"

"What?"

"Shackled to the wall…. Water front… Jamie…," growled Kenzi. "Little prick!"

The last line was yelled and Kate jumped.

"Who is…?"

"He was this two bit ass wipe who thought Rick stole his idea. Oh my god. And I beat his ass a few years ago when he accosted Rick at a signing," muttered Kenzi. "Fuck."

"He'll come back," reminded Kate.

"He needs to come back, or you need to go…."

"No," stated Kate. Kate knelt next to her, cupping Kenzi's face. "I'm not leaving you."

Kenzi felt the heat of Kate's breath and was about to move closer when they heard a soft clattering.

"That wasn't…," began Kate.

"Oh but it is, a rat. Go!"

"We've got a lead. His parole officer said that he bought a place three months ago. Water front property. Wanted to start a business," called Ryan from across the bullpen.

The bullpen came alive, every single officer, detective shot up from their seats. Save for Castle. He was useless in these situations, with his cheesy WRITER flack jacket.

"Come on, Castle," said Esposito. "You're not sitting this one out." Esposito slapped Castle on the shoulder. "You can stay in the car. I'll cuff you there myself."

Castle let his lips curl into a smile. "I'll still get out of them."

Esposito shared a look with Rick and Rick stood. The least he could do was be there to annoy Kate and Kenzi when they saved them.

When.

Kate scurried to the door, ducking and brandishing the 3-inch blade tightly in her right hand.

"You asshole, you better let me out of here! Kate is on her way to the cops! They'll be here any minute and damn it, you'll rot! You'll rot, Jamie!" Kenzi laughed. A rattling laugh that made the hairs on Kate's arms stand straight. "That's right, I know it's you, Jamie. You deplorable excuse for a human being, did you think I'd forget that mediocre story you wrote? Hmmm?"

Crashing, a howl of anger and stomping down the hallway, the metal grate over the small peak window rattled open.

"You bitch. You were always the most egotistical bitch I'd ever met."

"You were always the least talented bitch I ever met," said Kenzi. "Come on, you fruit cake. Kate is gone, just me and you to tango."

Kate closed her eyes for a moment. Kenzi was good.

"I'm not falling for this, Kenzi. I want you alive. I want him to come crashing down into hidey hole of mine and then…boom."

"Boom?" said Kenzi. She stood. Kenzi looked at ceiling. Why hadn't she insisted that Kate go out that way? Because Kate was a stubborn woman. "I like things that make me go boom…."

"I've left another clue, right outside the precinct…."

"You're not worried about Beckett getting out, are you? That was the plan all along, wasn't it? To have us escape?"

"No."

"Of course not, you can't think that far ahead, do you? That's why you're such a bad writer…," mused Kenzi.

"You bitch."

"You keep calling me that, why don't you come on in here and you and I can jimmy and jam? Hmmm? You're a skell, you're a piece of crap that can't write and all you can do is kidnap someone, BADLY!"

Clatter.

Clang.

The door whipped open and Kate stood, grabbing him around the neck from behind. The knife was at his throat, "Don't move or I will cut you."

He laughed. Throwing his head back and hitting Kate square in the face. Kenzi darted forward, he was just out of her reach. Kate and Jamie began to tussle. Kenzi bent over and gripped the pin, giving it one last hard pull. She felt the flesh tearing from her fingers and the pin finally let loose, maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the blood that lubed its way out. Either way, it was now two against one.

Kate jabbed at him with the poor excuse for a knife and he grabbed her arm, tearing away the knife from her hand. Kate felt sluggish, perhaps it was the massive amount of drugs that she'd been shot up with. Or that she hadn't eaten in hours.

Kenzi turned right into Jamie and felt the hot seer of the knife jabbing her just under the rib cage. Jamie pulled up, cutting her further. Kenzi let out one muted grunt, locking eyes with Jamie.

Kate jumped on his back as Kenzi crashed to her knees.

Kate wrapped her arm around his neck, cutting off his oxygen. He struggled, tossing his head back, but this time Kate was ready. Now she wrapped her long legs around his torso. He trashed hard. He tried to shove Kate against the wall, but the detective wasn't giving up. He pushed harder and began to lose consciousness. He slumped and began to lower to the floor. Kate didn't let go, not yet. She was shaking harder than she'd ever shook before.

"Kenzi…"

Kenzi was on her side, trying to stop the blood that was oozing from the wound. Kenzi struggled to her knees, shuffling towards Kate. Kenzi reared back and punched Jamie, who was already knocked out. "You. Son. Of a bitch…"

Kate moved out from behind him, scrambling to Kenzi. "Let's get you out of here."

"Bomb… part of the story – there is a bomb," said Kenzi.

Kate slid under Kenzi and helped her to her feet. "I'm bleeding all over your clothes."

"You'll buy me new ones."

"Okay," said Kenzi weakly. They stumbled out of the room. Kenzi reached back and yanked the door closed, turning the latch to make sure it was locked. "Just in case."

"Always thinking."

"I'm thinking…," muttered Kenzi. "…thinking that he might have punctured a lung…."

Kate didn't stop walking, she dragged Kenzi a few more feet. "We need to get out of here before whatever he has planned. A bomb."

"Know how to disarm one?" asked Kenzi as she leaned up against the wall.

"Let me look at that," said Kate. She pulled up Kenzi's blood sopped shirt and looked at the small wound. He had jabbed upwards and Kenzi might have been right. He might have well punctured a lung. The blood was pulsing out and Kenzi was having trouble breathing.

"I'm going to sit here," groaned Kenzi

"No, we have to keep going."

"You know how to disarm a bomb?"

"No, I'm a detective, not SWAT."

"Guess I have to go with you," said Kenzi, struggling to her feet, "I'm well versed in bomb diffusion."

Kate had to smile. She helped Kenzi up again, they struggled down the dank hallway. It took them twenty minutes to finally find the doorway.

"Wow," said Kenzi.

"Double wow," swallowed Kate.


	4. Chapter 4

Castle pt 4

RC®©

They sped through traffic, barely making red lights, skittering through the city, heading to Beckett and Kenzi. A full contingency of officers were behind Castle and the Captain.

Castle sat stoically in the passenger's seat, the captain was driving. The city grew grimmer as they drove. Castle's mind drifted. He had a plethora of wonderful women in his life, how lucky a man was he? And now it was going to blow up in his face, his fortune was going to….He was struck with a thought and rapidly dialed his home phone number.

"Alex!" said Castle.

"Dad is every…."

"No, time now, listen to me, I want you to go up to my room, there is an old box of my stories there. I need you to find a short story. It was called _Black Rose _along with that is another story called _Roses for Death. _I need you to tell me what the ending of the second one is like?"

He heard Alex rushing up the stairs; the phone was put down as she rummaged in the box. Lot of swearing, which make Castle smile, she forgot that she shouldn't swear. She was, after all, his daughter. Pages flipping, a grunt.

"Dad?" Her tone scared him. He tried to keep his voice calm.

"Yes?"

"The killer dies in an explosion. Oh my god, Dad? Is this guy going to blow up Kate and Kenzi?"

"Don't worry, they will be fine. Fine, I promise."

"Dad. You need to be fine too, please, please be careful."

"Always, I love you."

"I love you to, Dad."

Castle hung up the phone and looked at the Captain, "He's planning on blowing them up."

"Call in the bomb squad," said the Captain.

"Really?"

"Yeah, doesn't Beckett let you use the radio?"

"No, never, ever, ever." Castle's eyes lit up, reaching across the vast expanse of the Crown Vic's cab, he snatched the mic up and called in for the bomb squad.

RC®©

"Look at the mess of wires," said Kate. Her hands shook. Her knees were knocking, god, she didn't want to die. She rubbed her hands through her hair.

"No cell. No way to contact anyone. No… knife…," said Kenzi. She coughed, spitting the blood off to the side. It hurt, it hurt so badly that she wanted to pass out. "I need to find the ground…."

"What color?" asked Kate.

"That's not always the case. Some bomb builders like to confuse…," whispered Kenzi. "Hell, I read about a color blind bomber once whose wires were all green. When the bomb squad got there all they did was stare. Had to haul the bomb off into a lake or something…."

"Kenzi, are you okay?" said Kate.

"Light headed," whispered Kenzi. "And I ramble sometimes, nervous habit, I guess."

"You're bleeding a lot." Kate pushed back Kenzi's hair from her sweaty face. For the first time in a long time, Kate's fingers were shaky.

"I don't clot real well."

"Why?" asked Kate, looking around the room.

"Leukemia when I was a kid," said Kenzi.

"Really?"

"Why I never seem to be able to grow my hair out. I hate it long, never want to see if fall out again," muttered Kenzi.

Kenzi knelt next to the mechanism, pulling away from Kate. A large amount of clay looking material was attached to two electrodes. And a cornucopia of wires were massed around a timer.

"It's not running," said Kate. "Thank god, it's not running."

"No, triggered by them opening the door it seems. They come to save us, we all get blown into little bits and Kate, and Kenzi are no more."

"He would have sat back and watched," said Kate.

"Look at the door, and be careful not to trip on anything. If you can follow the bundle of wires from the connection to the door, I might be able to find the ground and then, well, we can open the door. We can leave and we might not die. Dying would be bad."

"We're not dying," snapped Kate. She moved to the door and painstakingly followed the mass of wires to the timer box. "Twelve wires, 4 blue, 4 black, 3 green and 1 white."

"White… no they'd be black."

"Why?"

"Story. Roses were black. Four black ones, four…four…"

"You hear that?" asked Kate. She felt a shiver rush into her. Kenzi looked awful, her breathing was labored, but she was trudging on.

"Calvary has arrived. Get in that window and wave them off from the door!"

Kate moved to the small window with the grace of a dancer, she looked down to see that there was another jumble of wires there. "Kenzi, the window is wired too. He had his bases covered, didn't he?

"Not surprised."

"What does surprise you?" asked Kate, she turned towards Kenzi.

"You," smiled Kenzi.

Kate arched an eyebrow and said nothing, a fiery blush rose to her cheeks. She saw her crew of friends, of her family, racing towards them. Waving frantically, she got, of course, Castle's attention.

He skidded to a stop at the window, his eyes filled with terror and thankfulness. "You two alright? Where is Kenzi?"

"No, Kenzi is hurt. He's locked up in the room we were locked up in. There is a bomb."

"We know," said Castle. "He is a writer…"

"The story. Kenzi told me. Where is the bomb squad?" Kate looked around over Rick's shoulder. She saw nothing.

"Fifteen minutes away, they were on a practice run across town."

"We don't have fifteen minutes, we have five," said Kenzi loudly. "The timer just started."

RC®©

Esposito dashed towards one side of the building, and Ryan off the other way. Looking for another exit, or another way in to help with the bomb defusing.

"Kenzi?" yelled Castle through the grime-covered window. "Don't you touch that! It's a bomb, Kenzi. Kenzi!"

"Rick, get out of here, please, get outta here. Go home, tell the kitten I love her."

"I'm not leaving you two. No. It's not going to happen, Knight."

There was a frenzy of activity outside but Kate's eyes were locked on Rick's.

"Listen, Rook…" said Kenzi, struggling to her feet. She paused. "That's it."

"What is?" asked Kate.

"Black and white, on a chess board," said Kenzi. She dropped to her knees again, feeling fresh blood oozing from the wound. She had a hard time to breathe. Her fingers, covered with grime and blood shook as she followed the wires again. A black and a white were intertwined together, a flow of twists and turns. "Black and white together."

"Are you sure?" asked Kate. "Kenzi are you sure?"

Kenzi looked up, pale and in pain. "No."

"Bomb squad won't make it in time, Castle, get to cover, get everyone to cover," Ordered Kate. "Kenzi."

"NO! Kenzi, don't you dare. I'm not going, Kate, please… Stop her."

He put his hand onto the window. Kate covered it with her own. "It was – it was a pleasure, Rick."

"NO!"

Kenzi yanked hard on the two wires.

RC®©

"…if that thing had blown, I'd have killed the both of you," said Castle, shaking his head hard from side to side.

"Castle, the blast would have done that," said Beckett rolling her eyes.

"Right."

"You two are an old married couple," groaned Kenzi. Kenzi was holding her side but the pain had subsided considerably. The reason being the copious amount of drugs that the doctor had seen fit to give her.

"You're lung collapsed," said Rick.

"My brain collapsed," groaned Kenzi.

Kate smiled. Kenzi smiled back at her. Her eyes then moved from Kate's to Rick's. Rick was looking at Kate intently.

They were in a very crowded hospital room. Kenzi was lying in a white bed, looking mildly better than she had hours before.

Alexis kissed Kenzi on the cheek. "You scared us."

"Mmmmm…."

"Mmmm?" asked Kate.

"Didja tell him?"

Kate cocked an eyebrow. "That is a discussion for another time."

"Tsk, tsk," said Kenzi. "I need a vacation. Beach. Sun. Culture."

"You deserve one," said Kate.

"Where do you want to go?" asked Kenzi. Her eyes opened and met Kate's. "I heard you were on vacation for a week. Want to run away with me to some nice beach? Or how about Paris?"

Rick looked at Beckett, who was blushing brightly. "I think I have a mountain of paper work…"

"It would wait," said Martha. I think we should let Kenzi rest, don't you all think that would be a wonderful idea?"

"Mmmmm," Groaned Kenzi.

"Drugs," said Kate and Rick in unison.

"Jinx," said Kate. "I do have a few quick questions, for my report."

Alexis kissed Kenzi's cheek again. Rick took Kenzi's hand and promised he'd return. Martha ushered them both out of the room. Kate moved to the door, closing it gently.

"What on earth do you want to ask me?" asked Kenzi.

"I want to ask you to not push this, between Castle and I," said Kate, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why? Can't you see that you're got genuine chemistry?" asked Kenzi.

Kate swallowed hard. "I do see that, I see that we have a very fruitful working relationship. I like Rick, but I don't think me _liking _him in a romantic way would work out for us. We are from different worlds, Mackenzie."

"Bullshit," grumbled Kenzi. She tried to sit up but the stitches tugged and the pain made her stop.

Kate rushed to her side. "No extraneous movements."

"Guess that leaves out sex."

Kate and Mackenzie's gazes met. "Is your safe word apple too?"

"Nope."

"Ah," chuckled Kate.

"Bananas."

Kate laughed. Kenzi reached out and placed her hand on Kate's cheek. "I want him happy, Kate. I think you could do that for him. You already do that for him. I worry for him, I worry about him."

Kate didn't pull away from the intimate touch. "He – he's Castle."

"He's Rick to you, sometimes, though, isn't he?"

Kate couldn't argue with her on that point. Instead, she stayed silent.

Kenzi cleared her throat and took her hand away from Kate's inviting skin. "I really should rest."

"You really should."

"You should, too."

"I should."

"But you won't."

"I won't."

"You are on vacation," reminded Kenzi.

"It will have to wait."

"Life doesn't always wait, Kate, sometimes it passes you by. Seize it while you can."

Kate was about to say something but Kenzi's eyes were already shut. She opened the door softly and closed it without sound. Leaning on the door, Kate reflected on the insanity of the day. It had genuinely made her think. She looked down the hallway and there was no one at either end. She turned to the right, heading for the elevator.

Down the hallway to the left, Castle peeked around the corner and watched her walk away, smiling only because she was still alive.


	5. Chapter 5

A Stranger Came Knocking - Pt 5

RC®©

"I go away for two weeks and your apartment gets blown up! Tick, Tick, Boom! Have we not had enough of the bombs yet? Really? I've had enough of bombs, no more bombs!" said Mackenzie, her hand deep in her pockets.

"Hi to you too, Kenzi," said Beckett. She wheeled around in her chair to face Mackenzie. Their gazes met in a friendly exchange.

"Hi?" asked Kenzi.

"Hi," answered Beckett.

"That's all you have to say to me? Hi? Not, hi I'm alive, aren't I?" asked Kenzi, waltzing into the bullpen. She was dressed in black from head to toe, save for the green shoelaces on her black sketcher sneakers.

"How did you get in here?" asked Kate. Not unhappy to see Kenzi, the opposite was true. She was happy to see the former psych patient, and writer, back in New York.

"I have connections," said Kenzi. She sat down in the seat that Castle usually sat in. She kicked back her feet onto Kate's desk. Beckett pushed her feet off the desk and Kenzi grunted sexily at Kate. They eyed each other, Kenzi grinning sexily.

"Hey, that's my seat," snorted Castle.

"It was, its mine now," said Kenzi, looking up at Castle with a wide smile. "Hello handsome."

"Hello, gorgeous," said Castle, kissing Kenzi's upturned nose. She smelled wonderfully good to him for some reason. "Get out of my seat."

"Where are you staying, did you find an apartment yet? And, I want the dish on the serial killer who was obsessed with you," said Kenzi. "I can't ever leave again you guys lead interesting lives."

Kate cocked an eyebrow. "Actually, it's my first day back. I was not able to come to work for a week, forced time off, trauma."

Kate and Castle shared a look.

Kenzi looked at Castle, and then to Kate, she slapped her thighs and stood up.

"Castle is cooking tonight, come over, bring the new main squeeze if you have one."

"I am?" asked Rick. His face held the look of astonishment.

Kenzi smiled, a childlike wonder caught on her face as she did. She loved to leave Castle in a thoughtful state of mind.

"You are. I'm bringing a date….," called Kenzi over her shoulder as she walked away.

"A…," began Castle bewildered.

"…date?" finished Beckett.

"See you at 7!"

They waited for a few moments, both curious as to who the date was. They shared a look. Castle sat down slowly in his seat while Kate leaned back in hers.

"That was interesting. Does she always just blow into your life like that?" asked Kate. She cast a look at the door that Kenzi had left through and felt an odd longing for the freedom that Kenzi exuded.

"Yes. Like a gale force wind and she tends to topple things over during her tirade. You don't have to come, tonight, that is."

"I have been eating take out for a week now."

"And this is new how?" asked Castle. Kate shot him an evil look. "Any leads on a new apartment?"

"Nothing like what I was renting before. The rent in this city is astronomical, my old landlord might be able to get my place fixed in the next month, so we'll see," said Kate. "So we have a lead on the ex wife…."

They went back to work, forgetting about Kenzi. For the moment.

RC®©

"Mother!" called Castle. "Did you drink the wine?"

"No darling. I drank the bottle," called Martha. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Because Kenzi is bringing a date with her this evening, and she is bringing her to my house, that has never happened before. I've met her paramours at bars or when they crawled into my bed by accident when we shared an apartment. I don't remember the last time she had a date. A friend whom she was, you know, sleeping with, but a true to life date?"

"Perhaps her brush with death has brought her to her senses," said Martha, looking around for another bottle of wine.

"If Kenzi is happy," said Alexis, taking some garlic and throwing it into the sauce, "Then I think we should all be happy for her."

"I am," said Rick. "Did I tell you she invited Beckett?"

"No, you did not. Now I know why there is such a copious amount of food," said Martha.

The doorbell rang.

"Ah, guests," said Rick, darting around the island area and whipping the door open.

It was Kate, she was dressed in just jeans and a white tee shirt. "Hi Castle."

"Detective."

"I brought wine."

"Good, my mother drank all of mine," whispered Rick. They shared a smile.

"Richard!"

Kate laughed. "So, where is Kenzi?"

"Not yet here," said Rick. "She is normally on time, since she never really says what time she's ever going to be somewhere." He shrugged and was about to close the door.

"Right behind you," said Kenzi. "Sorry we're late, someone gave Javier extra work to do."

"Esposito?" said Kate and Castle in unison.

"Hey, Beckett, Castle."

Kenzi and Javier walked passed Kate and Rick. Kate tugged on Rick's shirt. "I thought she was gay? Unequivocally gay?"

"I thought so too," said Rick. He looked angry, mused Kate. Seething.

"Rick, what are you cooking?" asked Kenzi as she got a hug from Alexis. "We are meeting Ryan and his girl later for drinks. You two can come if you want."

Kate bit her tongue as she closed the door. "Actually…"

"Sure, we'd love too," said Rick. He pulled Kate close. "Only way we are going to get to the bottom of this date."

Kate narrowed her green eyes. "Right."

"Exactly," whispered Rick, her turned and announced. "Let's eat!"

RC®©

Kate and Rick walked into the club behind Javier and Kenzi, who were whispering into each other's ears constantly. They had eaten and Kate had seen them exchanging sweet looking touches all during the meal.

"I'm confused," said Kate to Castle.

"_You're _confused?" shot back Rick.

"Fine, _we're_ confused?"

"You can say that again."

"We're confused."

"I've never seen her with a guy? A boy? A man!" said an angry Rick.

"Esposito is definitely a man," said Kate. "She looks – happy."

"Yes."

Kate saw the look of utter disappointment on his face. "Rick, if she's comfortable with Esposito, there are worse guys she could have picked to date. Esposito did say he liked her the minute he met her. I don't know there are worse…"

"That's not it," said Rick heading to the bar and ordered a shot, "she's never been with a guy before. Why now? She's – older – now. She should know if she's gay or not, right?" Rick didn't say her age, not wanting to date himself. "Is this some sort of female mid life crisis? She's been gay since the day we met, she can't change her mind now, can she?"

Kate learned back on the bar, casting her eyes on Kenzi. Kenzi looked up towards them and waved. "I think, Castle, that Kenzi is enjoying the life she lost. Look at them, not as a friend, but like the writer you are. Do you see romantic chemistry there?"

Rick looked first at Kate, as Kate gazed at Kenzi and Javier, he got lost in her profile for a moment. "Um," Rick turned his attention to Kenzi and watched. "No," said Rick a few moment later, "it's not romantic, is it?"

"I don't know, Castle, give them time. Maybe Kenzi is doing her own brand of research. I am willing to bet that she told Javier exactly what was going on, because I've gotten the feeling from her that she doesn't pull punches."

Kate saw him struggling with some inner emotions, she could tell because his lips were pursed and he was swallowing frequently.

"Rick, she's in your life again, celebrate that."

Rick smiled. "You are right. I should be enjoying the fact that she's here, smiling and enjoying and not locked up in a halfway house for lunatics."

"So, then what are we doing all the way over here?"

"My thoughts exactly," he smiled, took Kate's arm and they made their way to the table.

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"So where are you two off too?" asked Kate as they all exited the club. They had all drank too much and danced even more. Kate and Kenzi had even shared a dance, much to the applause of Javier and the chagrin of Rick.

"You're dropping me off, yes?" asked Kenzi to Javier.

"Yeah," said Javier, slipping an arm around Kenzi's waist, "I can drop you off."

"It's late, why don't I just drive you?" asked Rick. "We live in the same building."

Jenny and Ryan said their goodnights and left as Castle walked towards where his car was parked.

"You have to drop off Kate?" said Kenzi, shooing him towards Kate.

"Don't worry, Castle, I'll take good care of your girl," said Javier. His smile was sincere but that gave Rick no solace.

Castle grabbed Kate's arm and they began to walk quickly.

"Castle, what are you doing?" asked Kate in a heated tone, then called back, "See you guys later!"

"I want to get there first," said Rick. "You drive." He tossed the keys to his car to Kate and she smiled.

"Why?"

"You drive faster than I do and you can do it legally, whereas, I cannot."

"No, _why _do we want to get there first?"

"We can go spy on them of course."

Kate stood at the car and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on, Castle." A bit of Kate wanted to see what Javier and Kenzi were up too and if there really was something going on.

"Kate, please. I realize I am being irrational and slightly…"

"Insane?" offered Kate.

"I just…."

Kate opened the door and Rick followed suit. Kate understood that this was Castle, the 12 year old boy who always had to know what was going on and had to have a hand in it. Kate drove efficiently and quickly, they parked in the garage and made a mad dash for the penthouse floor, one floor above Castle's.

"Over here, there is a service elevator where the cleaning people and delivery people come in. We can hide back here and see if he goes in," said Castle.

Kate felt odd about spying on them. "Castle."

"Mmm?"

"Are you in love with Kenzi?"

Rick looked surprised, leaning against the wall, Beckett leaned against the other, their toes were touching as each looked at one another. Castle felt the deep seeded need to confess to Kate, but he didn't. "No."

"Because you are acting like a jealous boyfriend."

"I am?"

"You are."

Castle pursed his lips and cocked his eyebrow. It struck him hard, first in the chest then in his belly that he was being a bastard and that Kenzi would never forgive him if she found him there. "I am. Let's get out of here."

Castle moved around the corner and Kate was a breath behind him, when the elevator door opened and out spilled Javier and Kenzi.

Castle snapped back, virtually tackling Kate back to the hidden alcove. They crashed to the floor, the sound of their bodies muffled by the thick carpet. Castle was on top of Kate.

"Castle!" whispered Kate harshly.

Castle covered her mouth.

Her green chipped eyes were wide and he realized he was lying on top of her, he rolled off and she gave him a laser beamed look.

"Sorry," he whispered.

Then they heard the giggling.

Each slowly peeked out from around the corner, watching as Kenzi and Javier talked at the door. Javier was leaning against the wall, smiling brightly. Kenzi was opening her apartment door, her keys jangled as if she were struggling to get them into the lock.

"Can you hear them?" asked Castle.

"No, you're breathing in my ear!" said Beckett, slapping Castle's head with an open palm.

Neither moved, both enraptured for different reasons.

Javier leaned in and they both stiffened, but he simply gave Kenzi a long kiss on her cheek. Each breathe a sigh of relief.

Javier made his way to the elevator and once the door closed, Kenzi called out, "You can come out now!"

"Is she talking to us?" whispered Castle.

"I think so."

Kenzi turned to look down the hallway. Arms crossed over her chest, her face held a scowl. She waited.

Kate shoved Castle away from her. "Kenzi," said Beckett as she stood.

"I don't want to hear it," said Kenzi. She was shaking her head and Kate felt her heart sink. The look of disappointment and pain washed over Kenzi's face.

"I….well…see….. It was Castle's fault!"

"Oh right, it was my fault!" said Rick, fixing his shirt as he rambled after Kate who was making a bee line to Kenzi. "Blame it on me, what did I do? You were here just as much as I was, back there…"

"I don't care. Why are you two watching me? Spying on me."

"No, not spying," began Castle.

"Castle is worried about your sudden interest in – boys," said Kate, realizing how stupid that sounded.

"And so I decided to – um – well – spy…. On you," admitted Castle. "Now that I say it out loud, it does sound rather childish." He slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Wait, how did you know we were there?" asked Kate.

Kenzi, who was fuming, said, "The nap of the carpet was disturbed, looked like someone had walked there. Since no one goes there, because it's the maid closet and no one has delivered anything to me yet, I figured someone was there."

Both Kate and Rick looked down the hallway to notice this almost unnoticeable detail. Kate was impressed.

"You two should go," said Kenzi, going into her apartment and closing the door on the embarrassed writer and detective.


	6. Chapter 6

A Stranger Came Knocking - Pt 6

RC®©

"I feel bad, let me make it up to you," said Beckett into the phone. This was the 3rd phone call in as many days. Kate felt badly for having spied so openly on Mackenzie. She was also embarrassed that she'd been caught. She was a detective, and someone who could flawlessly go undercover, yet Kenzi had caught her. And Castle, which wasn't a surprise to Kate. It irked her how observant Kenzi was at times.

"No," said Kenzi, hanging up the phone, cutting the conversation short.

Kate snapped her phone closed and the anger bubbled in her stomach. She and Castle had been working a hard case for five days now, and nothing fruitful had come of it. She was sure that it was the reason that she was in a bad mood. It wasn't because she'd been spying on a friend.

"Hey, you get Kenzi to talk to you yet?" asked Javier, taking the seat that Castle usually occupied.

"No, she isn't."

"I could ask her to, you know, talk to you?" asked Javier.

"That's sweet of you, but no. How are the two of you…?"

Javier shrugged, played with his cuff links. "We're friend, Kate. I know she's not into me that way, but let me say that I do adore her, but as a friend."

"But I thought…"

Javier smiled knowingly. "Yeah, I did too, at first. But seems that she had another reason for getting me to go out that night. She'd been pretty straight with me before hand, you know, about really just wanting to get to know other people. She's been pretty exclusive in her life before now. Anyway her reason was to hook me up with Lanie."

"W-w-w-with Lanie?" blurted out Kate. When has this happened? Where had she been and why the hell hasn't Lanie told her?

"Yeah, we've been on two dates and it's been fun, really fun," laughed Javier. "You get a break on…"

"No, nothing," sighed Beckett.

"Then I better get back to work," winked Javier.

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"Now, I don't think you should hold the fact that I want you to be okay against me!" said Rick as he stood in front of Kenzi's door. His body ached with regret all he wanted to do was scoop Kenzi up into a hug and love her as he always had.

"Go. Away. Castle!"

Rick didn't go away, he stayed there for over an hour, until finally, Beckett called about the case, and even that didn't make him feel better. He had lurched away from the door, hands in his pockets.

How had he ruined his relationship with Kenzi once again? Gina had told him that she'd turned in three fully edited manuscripts in the last two weeks. Obviously, Kenzi was writing. This also worried him. Was Kenzi losing herself in her work again?

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"I wonder if Agent Shaw would let us….," began Castle.

"If you say, "I wonder if Agent Shaw" one more time, I'm going to escort you off the premises, Castle," said Beckett. She was very annoyed.

"Okay," said Castle meekly, and then mouthing the words to himself several times.

"We need to find the rest of the body," said Ryan. He was wearing a bright yellow tie today that made Castle want to put his sunglasses on.

"Right," said Esposito. "Where do you think we should start looking? I'm going to get a coffee, a good old ½ and ½…."

They were standing in an alleyway, and only half of a body was there, the lower half, an inch above the waistline, cut clean through. Esposito walked away, shaking his head.

"Wallet?" asked Castle.

"Nothing," said Ryan. "How do we ID this guy? We got no dental to go on, no prints."

"We work the evidence, boys," said Beckett. "Let's canvas the area, Ryan get Esposito and start the canvas. Castle and I will run missing persons. We can start with what he was wearing and work our way from there."

"Got it," said Ryan.

"Hey, Castle….," said Esposito returning with a coffee for Ryan also.

"Yes," Rick turned and smiled at Javier.

"You didn't like me going out with Mackenzie, did you?"

Castle's face fell. "No, no, no, not at all – it has nothing to do with you, really, it has everything to do with the fact that you're a – um – gay."

Esposito smirked. Mackenzie had told him that this was how Castle would react. Javier thought it might be fun to pull Castle's chain. "I get it. I'm not her type, and I mean that in a literal sense, but I like her, Castle. She's fun. She's challenging. And don't you think if she were testing the boy waters there would be worst guys out there for her to test it with?"

Esposito smiled, he wasn't going to tell Castle, just yet, that he wasn't dating Mackenzie. Let Mackenzie tell him, once she started to speak to him again.

"Agreed," said Rick. He was about to continue when Lanie Parish walked up behind him.

"I still say Haley Barry, baby," she smiled and winked at him. "What the hell am I supposed to do with half a body? Beckett!"

"Don't look at me, I didn't take the other half, I have better things to bring home at night," replied Kate.

"Hmm mmmm," said Laney. "Takeout food don't count as company, Beckett."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Come on, Castle, let's go."

Rick darted off after Kate, already running scenarios out loud as to how the body was sliced in half.

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Kenzi and Alexis sat across from one another, Kenzi attempting to bluff her way out of a pair of 2's.

"When are you going to forgive dad?"

Kenzi's jaw bulged hard.

"Really isn't it time you two kissed and made up?"

"You're not funny, I raise you."

"Call. If I win this hand, you have to talk to dad," said Alexis.

"Deal," said Kenzi throwing more money into the center of her kitchen table.

Alexis dealt the river, watching Kenzi's face, she gave nothing away. "Pair of ladies with an ace kicker!"

"You talk like your grandmother," growled Kenzi. "Fine, I'll talk to him but I won't be nice about it."

"Kenzi…?" pleaded Alexis. "You know he adores you. He's worried. He doesn't get it. I don't get it either, but I know that you're smiling and that you're happy."

"It?" asked Kenzi. "There is no _it_ Alexis, he doesn't understand why I might want to be with Javier and not with him, and I'm not with Javier, we are friends. You're dad does that. He's doing it with Beckett, he wants to say, "I love you" but he can't. He won't, instead he'll let her date that robbery cop. Or some other guy, I don't get him sometimes. Why can't he just say it."

"But, what does that have to do with you?"

"You're dad kissed me once, a long time ago and I didn't want him that way. We're friends. I don't want to cross that line. You're family."

"I always imaged you and dad getting married. I wouldn't have minded you for a step mom," said Alexis shyly.

"I'm already your step mom, I just don't want to be with Rick that way. I like Javier but not that way."

"I think you're avoiding who you really want to be with and I get that. But, you need to talk to dad."

"Yeah," said Kenzi, looking down at the pair of twos in her hand. "Twos…"

"What?"

"Twos. The case your dad is working on, with Beckett, the guys were sawed in half – into twos – twins…. Twins…."

"Kenzi?

A far off look came over Kenzi. While Castle always remembered odd things, Kenzi always studied the small factors of things, and she had an affinity for serial killers. "Halves."

"Um, Mackenzie what are you talking about?"

Kenzi slipped her phone from her pocket, looking at the Blackberry, hitting the green phone button she chose the first number there as a missed call. Thinking it was Castle, instead she got, "Beckett."

"Um, Kate? Hi."

"Kenzi?"

"The bodies you've found, three, right?"

"What?" Kate's brow furrowed.

"The halves, you've found three halves. One and a half bodies?"

"How did you…. Know that? Kenzi, what do you know?"

"Ten years ago, there were similar murders in Manhattan, then in Miami. Body count was four, four halves – they called him the…"

"The Twin Killer because the victims were twins," grumbled Beckett, she should have known that!

"Right. The first scene was the top half of twin one and the bottom half of twin two," said Kenzi.

"Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker…," a short pause, "Go."

"Anyway, I did some research way back when, because I was thinking of using it in a novel. I found that the twins had been separated at birth – the only reason they knew they were twins was from genetic testing or from paper work from adoption agencies. Does this follow the pattern to date?" asked Kenzi standing up and feeling her creative thought kick into play.

"To a tee, we didn't catch this other guy, did we?"

"No, no one did – the victims were young, 22 or so…"

"Mm, our ID'ed vic is 32 and it's been ten years… Thanks Kenzi, you just gave me a direction to a case that had none."

"Welcome – whoever it is, they are looking – looking for _their _other half," said Kenzi.

"Brilliant," whispered Castle.

"Happy killer hunting." Kenzi snapped the phone closed.

"You and dad remember the smallest details of things. It's great to see how your minds work, differently yet the same at the same time. I have to get going, I have a final to study for," smiled Alexis. She kissed Kenzi's nose. "I'm glad you're back, Auntie Kenzi."

"You're pushing it with the whole Auntie thing, kiddo."

Alexis grinned and dashed for the door.

After a few minutes, Kenzi did the same.

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"Here is how I see it – you could go into the adoptive data bases, but that will take forever. What you have to do is think like the killer," said Kenzi. She was carrying her laptop as she entered the bullpen, she winked at Javier and sat down. "The killer wants something he is looking for his or her other half…"

"You can't be…" began Castle.

"Go on!" said Beckett. "He's looking."

"He or she, is looking for their other half. Now, they find someone they think is their twin but only to find out they aren't – maybe he finds the twins for each other then – then he kills them, wanting what they have? He cuts them in half because they are two halves of a whole – DNA speaking that is," said Kenzi. Swinging the computer around and showing it to Beckett. "Largest data base of separated twins in the USA and Canada. I reached out to a friend in Vancouver and she is looking into similar cases in Canada, just in case."

"Long shot," offered Ryan. "But, I figure this is the best lead we have yet. Body is being processed as we speak."

"Why keep ½ a body?" asked Rick. He caught Kenzi's eye and saw that she no longer held any animosity towards him. A weigh evaporated from his chest that he hadn't known was there.

"He is keeping the twins apart, they can't complete the whole," said Beckett softly. Her phone vibrated. She saw the message from her current beau. She texted back _busy _and snapped it shut.

"That's my thoughts," said Kenzi.

"Well, we meet again," said a voice from the doorway. "I come bearing gifts, murder boards and another serial killer, well, you have the killer, I have the boards," said Agent Shaw. Her posse was behind her, looking like they were moving in.

Castle seemed positively giddy at seeing Agent Shaw again, or perhaps it was her ample supply of – toys.

"So, we _do_ have a serial killer," said Kenzi. She turned, her eyes swept over the sexy older woman. Kate had to smile at how heatedly Kenzi looked at Jordan Shaw.

"A new player? This your new partner, Beckett?"

"I'm much cuter than Castle, and so much better in bed," said Kenzi with flirty smile. "Agent Shaw, Mackenzie Knight." Kenzi extended a hand and Agent Shaw took it.

"No? Really? The writer? I have read all of your novels, never read his though." Jordon pointed to Castle, who huffed. "_Shadock Night _is one of my favorite books. Well, Beckett you keep wonderful company. Are you working for the NYPD now also?"

"Nope, just here to upstage Castle, on that note, I bid thee adieu," said Kenzi, she moved to Javier, whispered in his ear and left without more than a nod.

Kate watched her leave. A tug at her heart as she walked away. Kenzi had a habit of flying in and disappearing. Something about her made Kate curious and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

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Agent Shaw flipped her phone closed. She tapped a nail on the cover and looked over at an exhausted Beckett and Castle. "You two should go home and get some sleep. This is going nowhere fast."

"No," they both echoed.

Castle got up and tapped the translucent board, flinging different murder victims across the board. "I can't see it anymore. What does that lovely research of yours say about…."

"I got a lead" called Mackenzie, flanked by Ryan and Esposito. She had called Esposito earlier, asking for him to bring Ryan with him, she had a thought – her thoughts were always much darker than Castle's.

"A lead?" asked Jordan Shaw. "I had my guys look through every single adoption agency…"

"Adoption agency my ass, he's a PI – all of the victims hired a PI in the last three years to find their other half," said Mackenzie.

"How did you find this?" demanded Jordan. She pulled the sheets of paper that Mackenzie was holding from her hands.

"I put in some calls, pretended to be a twin looking for my lost half and was directed to the best in finding just what I was looking for. Mario Galdoff – but the kicker is this, he isn't a twin, never was," said Mackenzie.

"You realize that you broke a lot of…," began Jordan.

Mackenzie smiled. "I'll plead temp insanity, and I can sell that bit of info, Agent Shaw. I was in the loony bin, don't you know?"

Jordan took the jump drive that Mackenzie was now offering her. "I could arrest you."

Mackenzie smiled, sliding up onto the desk, her grey eyes met Agent Shaw's. "No reason to whip out the cuffs – I don't work like Castle does – I like to chew on my thoughts. I do all my thinking internally, while he does his out loud."

"That he does," muttered Kate.

"Hey!" snapped Rick.

"Really, both of you need to get over it," said Agent Shaw. "Esposito?"

"Lead is solid. Guy helped investigate for the previous murder victims ten years ago. Was even questioned but had no alibi. Don't know why they didn't clip him as a suspect. Bad police work is what I'm thinking, it wasn't a Fed case, stayed local."

"Also found out that he wasn't a twin, but his wife was. She died a week after they were married. His wife's twin took her sister's body, cremated it and he never even got to bury her. Pretty intensive stuff," said Ryan.

"Let's get on it," said Jordan.

Mackenzie smiled, hands in her pockets she walked out of the bullpen and headed towards the elevator.

"Hey," said Castle, catching up to her, slightly out of breath. "Thank you."

Mackenzie reached up, running her fingers down Rick's face, fluttering over his lips. A heat rose in Rick and he wanted Kenzi for just that instant.

"You're mine you know?"

"Your…?" Castle's voice failed him and a lump rose in his throat.

"My twin. We aren't complete without each other, Rick. I've known that all my life. I don't like being mad at you. I don't like you trying to control something about me, okay?" asked Kenzi.

"I just didn't… get it…," said Rick.

"You don't need too. You just need to trust and love me. I love you, Rook."

"I love you too, Knight."

"I know you're going to the Hampton's for the summer, did you ask her yet?"

"No," said Rick. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbling haphazardly.

"Can you? Please? As a favor to the one woman you've loved since you were a child, other than your mother – you need to…"

"I don't know if I can," admitted Rick. "I have so much to lose."

"I'm not going with you. I know you asked me, but you asked the wrong woman, Rick. I'm going to Japan for the summer – I have a friend there…."

"No, no you can't leave. Kenzi, you just got back into my life and you keep rushing out of it."

"I'm coming back. I always come back."

Kenzi pushed up on her toes and kissed Rick's lips quickly, cupping his face, her thumbs wiped away his tears and he hugged her. "Go catch a killer."

Kenzi entered the elevator and disappeared. Castle composed himself and walked back into the War Room.

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Mackenzie was packing and she heard a knock at the door. Unable to figure out who it was, she answered the door. She had said all her goodbyes….

"You're leaving?" said Beckett at the doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were hard. Kenzi met her gaze, wanting to fall so deeply into them that she'd forever be lost.

"Just for the summer," said Kenzi. "Oh come on, I breeze in and out of your lives like a tornado. I have a friend I want to reconnect with."

"I've gotten used to that," admitted Kate. "I've gotten used to you waltzing into my life, tearing it up and disappearing but Japan?"

Kenzi smiled. She was taking a risk. Kenzi knew that, but Kate was worth it. "I'm a phone call away."

Kate tried not to smile, but failed. "Just one phone call?"

"Just one."

"I'm going to hold you to that," said Kate. She took a step into the Penthouse, hugged Kenzi quickly and then was gone in a very Kenzi-like fashion.


End file.
